The Bakery
by gurl3677
Summary: This is based on a Norman Reedus movie, Bad Seed.Jonathan sees a girl out that is just pulls at his attention.He gets her number then starts texting her.She turns up at his bakery.They continue to text without her knowing it's him.In person, they become friends, in texting they flirt.Can he reveal himself to her as her texting friend?Can they help each other?
1. Chapter 1

_* Please Review! So this is based on a movie called Bad Seed with Norman Reedus and Luke Wilson. In the movie, Reedus, Jonathan is the character name, has an affair with a married woman, Luke Wilson's wife. She ends up getting killed with each man thinking the other did it and they after each other. Jonathan ( Reedus) just completely falls in love with the woman when he first sees her. He thinks she is beautiful and amazing. He owns a bakery and takes care of his mental challenged brother, Art. Art has the mind of a seven year old. In the movie, something Jonathan does over and over again is write in a journal and it is read throughout the movie so that will come through my writing. If anyone wants to see the movie, pm and I will send you the link to it where you can watch it online. It's actually really sad. If you have any questions about the movie's plot pm me. **This story is for knyte!**_

_Aug. 3_

_Today I had to go to the accountant's office, boring. I was sitting in the waiting room when a young woman walked in. She was beautiful. Not like sexy beautiful but natural beautiful. I couldn't stop staring at her while she sat across the room from me. Her hair looked like the color gold. She had it braided and it sat just over her right shoulder. She was messing around with her phone so I don't think she saw me staring. _

_I really wanted to talk to her but what was I supposed to say? Hey, I see you sitting over there, I think you're stunning, let's go out. By the way, I own a bakery and take care of my mentally slow brother who lives with me so I hope that doesn't creep you out. Yeah, no. I know my brother is a lot for women to deal with, hell, he's alot for me to deal with. _

_Aug 4_

_I had to go back to the accountant's office today. She was there. I sat at the cubicle next to the one she was at. Her name is Elliot. Elliot Nichols and when she rattled off her number to the accountant, I copied it down. I know I shouldn't have done that but ever since I first saw her, I just can't stop thinking about her. Her face is so delicate looking and I bet her skin is soft._

Elliot was washing the dinner dishes when her phone went off in her back pocket. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. It was just her friends, wanting to go out again but she had already said no. She couldn't. She had a bruise on her cheek that no amount of make-up would cover it. They would see it and know. Then they would yell at her about it. She just couldn't leave him. Elliot grabbed a towel and started drying off her hands. She tossed it to the counter and dug her phone out.

' Hi.' She frowned at the unknown number.

' Who is this?' She texted back.

' No one you know.' Was the answer.

' Than why are you texting me?' She answered.

' Good question. I saw you out, two days in a row and I thought you beautiful.' Elliot frowned as she walked out of her kitchen.

' And how did you get my number?' She asked, sliding the chain lock into place.

' You and I go to the same accountant office. I heard you give your number to the accountant. Creepy, I know.' Was the answer.

' It is creepy.' Elliot answered. " Madison!" She called out to her chocolate Lab.

' I'm sorry. I just really thought you were beautiful and I was too nervous to say anything to you.' Jonathan tapped against his lower bottom lip why he wanted for her to answer him. He prayed she wasn't completely weirded out by him.

' Lol, you're funny. No one is that beautiful. ' Jonathan smiled.

' You are.' He answered. He could because texting was easier than talking.

To his delight, they texted back and forth until she went to bed.

_Aug 7_

_Elliot came into the bakery today. I had to wait on her. My heart was in my throat. I was sure she knew it had been me texting her._

Jonathan was wiping down a counter when the small bell over the bakery's front door chimed. He looked up and paused in his movements. Elliot walked in, making his pulse shoot up into his throat. He swallowed, trying to will his heartbeat to slow. He drew in a deep, sharp breath, hoping the blush he had would fade before she reached the counter.

' Holy fuck.' He whispered to himself. ' Holy fuck.' He brushed his hands against his apron then untied it and quickly stashed it under the counter. He stared at her while she stared at the menu above his head. He made his way over to her with his stomach in knots.

" Ah, hi." He said, making her jump and look at him. Jonathan felt himself frown. There was a fading bruise on her cheek. " Hi." He found himself saying again.

" Hello." She said. Her voice was incredible. It was warm, soft, and gave him goose bumps.

" Can I get you something?" Jonathan asked.

" Yeah, just a coffee, please." She said.

" Cream?" He asked, pushing a lock of of his dark hair out of his eyes.

" Yeah, thank you." He smiled and gave her his back. He moved to the counter straight ahead of him and grabbed a cup down from one of the shelve.

" How much cream?" Jonathan asked.

" 4." Was her answer.

Quickly, he poured out her coffee then added the cream. He didn't usually do that. Usually, he let the customer add their own stuff but he needed to keep his back to her, just a little longer. His hands were shaking and he was nervous. He needed to calm down. When the coffee was ready, he closed his eyes and tried to breath deep. She couldn't know it had been him she had been talking too. When Jonathan felt more steady, he turned around and smiled.

" On the house." He said, setting the coffee down in front of her.

" What?" She asked.

" On the house. You're new here, right?"

" Yeah, I am." Elliot said. " How did you know that?"

" I work here every day. I know who comes and doesn't and I have never seen you here before." Jonathan said.

" I can't take this for free." She said.

" Yes, you can. You want to pay for coffee then come back." He said. Elliot smiled and even laughed softly.

" Thank you." She said.

" No problem." He pushed it towards her.

_I pretended to keep wiping down the counter and straightening things up while she sat by the window and drank her coffee. She looked upset, sad. I think she started to cry a few times because I saw her wiping at her eyes. I wanted to say something to her but I didn't. I wondered about that bruise on her skin and wondered if that was why she was crying._

' Hi.' Elliot found herself smiling down at her phone.

' Hello.' She answered her unknown texter.

' How are you today?' She bit into her bottom lip and looked out the window. She closed her eyes, sighing as she did it.

' I have been better.'

' What's wrong?' Elliot felt her eyes well up but she shook her head. She refused to cry again.

' Just a tough couple of days. So what's your name?'

' You want my name?' He was answering her so fast, she had wonder what he was doing, if he was a he at all.

' Yeah. I have a feeling that you are going to keep texting me.' Jonathan watched her texting him with a small smile on her face. He turned away from her so she won't see him checking his phone.

' Casey. My name is Casey.' He answered. It wasn't a lie. It was his last name.

' Hi, Casey.' She texted.

' Hi, Elliot.'

_She spent the morning in the shop, texting me without knowing I was standing across from her. She was funny and it was hard not to laugh at some of the things she was saying. We joked around through the texts. In person, she kept trying to give me money for the coffee every time I refilled it but I didn't take it. When she left, I went to clean the table and saw that she had left it anyway. I hope she comes in again. I kind of like looking at her. _

_' _Thank you for making my day bright.' Jonathan grinned down at his phone while he made his brother some dinner.

' You made my day good too, Elliot. I like talking to you.'

' I like talking to you too. I'm tired so I'm going to bed. Tomorrow?' Jonathan nodded to himself at he message.

' You want me to text you tomorrow too?' He asked.

' Yes.' Elliot's answer made his heart race. ' Please. You made me laugh and I havent laughed in a while.'

' You got it. Have a good night.' Jonathan answered.

' Good night.' She said.


	2. Chapter 2

_* Please Review! _

_**Waterwarrior6:**__ Did you get my pm with the link? I know what you mean, I kind of got that vibe too._

_**NikixXx:**__ Thank you!_

_**CreepyDaisy:**__ I am keeping to some of the storyline but changing others. Art will be in it and he will attack someone._

_**Leyshla**__: Have you seen the movie? I know but I had something like that happen to me. Someone texted me, just wanting to know about me. But I didn't answer, maybe I should have, LOL, maybe it is The Reedus!_

_**XAcex13:**__ Thank you! I just love him and most of his characters. I know that going off on his less known work doesn't always land me a lot of reviews but I'm hoping as more people fall for him, they will read the fics. I'm going to email FFN and ask them to add this movie to their list._

_**JavaNut: **__That scene were Preston dropped his ring down the sink in the hotel bathroom just broke my heart! And you can't get mad at Jonathan, he loved her too._

_**Knyte:**__ This is for you!_

Jonathan was in the best mood as he finished up his early morning baking. Elliot wanted him to talk to her. He wanted her to text him. She thought he was funny. He wanted to tell her it was him, and planned on doing it if she came into the bakery again. Maybe he could ask her out on a date. He hadn't been on a date in so long.

Having to take care of Art, his mentally challenged brother, put a serious damper on dating. Women didn't like coming over and having his brother there. Art's mind was stuck. He thought and acted like a seven year old and that was hard for some women to deal with. Jonathan got that. It was sometimes hard for him to deal with. Art couldn't, or won't, do anything on his own. Jonathan had to cook for him, make him brush his teeth, change his clothes and bath. Having a date over and having to do all that cooled things down fast. Some women just couldn't handle a grown child. It didn't help that Art sometimes spied on Jonathan when he was trying to be intimate with his date. Yeah, women really didn't like that.

Jonathan watched the clock like a hawk. He didn't want to text her too early but he was excited to talk to her. Seven o'clock came and went. Eight o'clock hit and he unlocked the doors to his bakery. Eight-thirty came and Jonathan couldn't wait any longer. He yanked his phone out of his pocket and pulled up her number. She would be up, right?

' Hi, Elliot.'

' Hi, Casey.' She answered a few seconds later.

' What are you doing?' He asked as he leaned against the counter at the front of the bakery.

' I'm headed into this bakery I found yesterday. The coffee was amazing.' Jonathan's head snapped up as she appeared at the doorway. He shoved his phone deep into his pocket and straighten up.

" Ah, hi." Elliot said as she walked into his bakery.

" Hi." He said, feeling almost shell shocked that she was there.

" So will you let me pay for my coffee today?" She asked with a smile. Jonathan found himself smiling back without thinking.

" Sure. Is that all you want?" He asked as he turned around to grab her a cup.

" Yeah, thank you." Elliot said.

" Four creams?" Jonathan asked while his phone went off in his pocket.

" Yeah. You remembered." She said.

" Yeah, that's kind of my job." He said. He poured out some coffee into a cup, added the cream, then faced her again. " Here you go."

" And how much?" Elliot asked.

" On the house." Jonathan said with a smile, despite having told her she could pay for it.

" What? You just said I could pay, I'm paying." She said with a smile.

" You can't force me to take your money." Jonathan counter.

" Does your boss know you give away coffee?" She asked.

" He doesn't mind. You want to know how I know that?" He asked. She glanced down at her phone, making him look at it too. To his surprised, she was quickly checking her texts. Was she waiting for him?

" Yeah, how do you know?" She asked, looking back up at him and nodding.

" Because I'm the boss. This is my bakery." Jonathan said.

" Are you serious?" She asked in surprise.

" Yeah and to prove it," He started as he moved to the pastries, donut, and bagel case. He bend down and opened the door. He pulled out an apple cinnamon muffin then closed the door. " I'm giving you this."

" What? No. No, you can't." Elliot said, shaking her head.

" I can and if you don't take it, I'm going to have my feelings hurt. I'm going to think you don't like my cooking." He said, placing the muffin on a plate and sliding it over.

" I want to pay." She said.

" I'll tell you want, you come back tomorrow, I'll let you pay." He leaned against the counter, let his arms rest against the top of it and clasped his hands together, all with a smile on his face. She tilted her head, shifted her weight to her right side and crossed her arms over her chest.

" How do you even know I'll like this?" She asked.

" I just know this about people and what they like. You are an apple cinnamon type of girl. Right?" Elliot rubbed her lips together to try and stop her smile. She started to nod then burst into laughter, making him grin and stand up straight. He pulled his hands apart and placed them, palm side down, on the counter.

" I, actually, really love apples and cinnamon." She said.

" See. Take it. Let me know how you like it." Jonathan said.

" I'm paying tomorrow." She said.

After she took the plate and her coffee, she made her way to the table at the window. Jonathan pulled his phone out and gave her his back. There was a message from her waiting for him. He grinned and opened it up, listening as she took a call at the table. He didn't want her to sneak up on him and know she was texting him.

' What are you going to do today?' The text read.

' Just texting you.' He answered. He replaced the phone and turned around. Elliot had her left elbow on the table top and had her head down. She was holding her phone to her left ear and was nodding. Since they were the only ones inside the little shop, he could clearly hear her side of the conversation.

" No, I didn't say that...I'm not saying you're lying...I think you are misunderstanding me...No..." She sighed deeply and shook her head. " I understand." She looked out the window then swiped her hand across her cheek. Jonathan frowned. Was she crying? " Okay...I'm sorry...Goodbye." She shook her head as she looked at her phone and disconnected the phone. She sent it on the table top and went back to staring out the window. Her small hands wrapped around the cup.

' You're quiet.' Elliot wiped at her cheeks again then started texting Casey.

' Bad day.' She answered.

' Already?'

' Some days are just like that.' She texted with a heavy heart.

' What will make it better?' Casey asked.

" A new life." Jonathan heard Elliot mutter to herself.

' Tell me a joke.' She sent him.

She stayed at the bakery for another hour, slowly eating her muffin and drinking her coffee. She smiled at Jonathan when he filled her coffee, telling him how great the muffin was. She texted him over and over again. She smiled and laughed to herself when he told her a joke. He wanted so bad to tell her that it was him but he just couldn't make himself do it. Through the texts he was coming off smooth, confident and funny, in real life, he was anything but. Plus, through the phone he didn't have to tell her about Art.

The rest of the day, she texted him and he answered. They asked each other questions, things like what was their favorite colors, what kind of cars they drove, back and forth they went. They were just getting to know each other. Again they joked and laughed together. He didn't tell her about his brother and that they lived together. He was vague about his job and found out that she didn't have one. She was looking for a one.

He noticed that in the evening, she texted him less then she had throughout the day. It took her longer to answer him. He wondered what she was doing but didn't ask. It was hard for him to stay on top of the texts once he got home so he understood. Art demanded so much of his time. His brother was excited when he got home and wanted his full attention. By eight that night, she had completely stopped texting him.

_Aug 10_

_She came back in today. She is so amazing. I love watching her as she takes in the world. The sun coming in from the window makes her hair shine around her. She looks like an angel. Her eyes are the clearest blue I have ever seen. I am completely taken by her. Her lips are a pale pink and I can't help but wonder how they feel. And taste. It's been so long since I kissed anyone. I want to ask her out so bad but I can't. I love Art, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I wish I didn't have to take care of him. If he wasn't around, I would have already asked her out and who knows? Maybe she would have said yes and maybe we could have something special. If Art wasn't around, I could be the guy I was in the texts. _

NRNRNR

' Good morning, Elliot.'

' Morning, Casey.' Her answer came sometime later.

' How are you doing?'

The door to his shop opened and she was walked in, making him slip his phone into his back pocket. She was wearing jeans and a long sleeve, dark blue shirt despite the warm weather outside. She was wearing her golden hair down so Jonathan see it reached her tummy. It was completely straight and hung in layers. On her small face was a pair of black sunglasses, even though it was overcast that day and rainy that day.

" Hey, you ready for some coffee?" He asked as she made her way to the counter.

" Yeah, that would be great." She said quietly.

' I'm okay. How are you?'

Jonathan pulled down a coffee cup, pour out the hot, dark liquid then added her cream. He turned around at the same time she actually reached the counter. He stopped dead in his tracks. There was a bruising on either side of her chin, like as if someone had squeezed her forcefully. Around her neck was another set of bruises, marks she had tried to cover up with her make-up but had failed.

" Are you okay?" Jonathan asked. Her hand flew to her slender throat.

" Yeah. I had an accident, that's all." She said quickly. Too quickly.

" Like a car accident?" Jonathan asked, setting the coffee down.

" Yeah." She said with a deep sigh.

" What happen?" He pressed.

" Someone pulled in front of me." He wanted to ask her to take off the sunglasses but didn't. She didn't have to remove them for him to know what he would see. He was sure she had a black eye. And he doubted it came from a car accident.

_Something is wrong with Elliot. Today she was sad that she hardly drank her coffee or ate her muffin. She stared outside, pulling little bits off the muffin and placing them in her mouth or letting it rest on the plate. I let her pay but I didn't want too. I watched her while I leaned against the counter. She was so deep inside her head that she didn't even notice. Someone had attacked her, I was sure. Someone was hurting her and I wanted her to tell me who. _


	3. Chapter 3

_* Please Review!*_

_Elliot has been coming into the bakery and talking to me through texts for two weeks now. We are becoming friends and I like her more and more every day. I have tried to tell her over and over again that it's me she is texting but every time I open my mouth, I freeze. Every time I start to text it out, I panic. I know how I come off through the phone. I can be smooth, I can flirt with her, I can be funny. I'm not that way in person. It's just so easy to be a different person when I text her. It's so easy to forget what's like for me at home. If I told her and she ran because of Art, I'd be crushed._

" Hey, Jay." Elliot said, quietly when she walked into the bakery.

" Hi, Elli." He said. Something was off with her. She was walking slightly hunched over, like her side was sore. She looked pale and tired. " Are you okay?" Jonathan asked. All at once, Elliot just crumbled. She stopped walking, covered her mouth, dropped her head down and started to cry. " Holy shit, what happen?" He asked as he came around the counter and hurried to her. Elliot held her hands up and shook her head.

" I'm okay." She said. She was anything but.

" No, you're not." Jonathan took a hold of her hand and guided her towards her normal table. " Sit down. Let me get your coffee and muffin then we are going to talk."

" No, I can't. It's nothing." She said quickly.

" Hang on, Elliot."

Jonathan helped her to sit then went back to his counter. He grabbed a bunch of napkins, poured out two cups of coffee then went back to her. She muttered her thank you when he set things down. As he went back to the counter, he glanced over his shoulder to see her wiping her eyes. He pulled out two muffins, apple cinnamon. It was her favorite. She always ate that. He placed them on small plates then moved back to her.

" Tell me what's going on." He said, sitting down across from her.

" It's nothing. I'm okay." She said. Her left hand went to her right ribs while her eyes shifted away from him.

" Look, I'm just going to come out and say something to you, and you can completely tell me to mind my own business, okay?" Jonathan asked, making her look at him again.

" Okay." She said.

" You have been coming in here for two weeks now, every day, and you spend hours here. Every day you have a new bruise. You wear long sleeve shirts when it's hot and sunglasses when it's gray out. And don't think I think that fading black eye was from a car accident. Is someone hurting you?"

Jonathan could be very straight forward when he needed to be and now was one of those times. He really liked Elliot, he was crushing on her hard and if she was being hurt, he wanted to help. But she didn't answer him at first. She took a hold of her muffin and started to take it apart, like she always did before she ate it. Jonathan's shoulders went down as he shook his head. She wasn't going to say anything.

" His name is Mitch." She said as she watched her fingers work against the muffin. " He's my boyfriend." The news that she had a boyfriend hit Jonathan hard. Of course she had a boyfriend. He couldn't be that lucky to have found a beautiful girl who was funny and single. Why hadn't he thought about it being a boyfriend that was hurting her? Who else would be?

" And he's hitting you?" Jonathan asked. She nodded and wiped at her cheeks, finally meeting his eyes.

" I know what you thinking. I'm pathetic and sad but I'm not." She said quickly. " I don't know how this happen. I have never been hit by a boyfriend before. And don't think I don't fight back, I do but he's much stronger than I am."

" I don't think you're sad or pathetic." Jonathan said as he leaned forward. Swallowing his nerves, he reached out and placed his hands on her wrists. " God, how could I even think that? I can't imagine enduring what you are going through."

" He wasn't always like this. I mean, when we first started dating, I found out he had a temper but I didn't think he's ever turn it on me. He convinced me to move in with him and a few weeks later he started hitting me." Elliot said.

" Leave him. Move out." Jonathan said as he squeezed her.

" I can't. He convinced me to put my money with his and I thought he put me on his account, but he never did. I lost my job because he won't stop calling and showing up to yell at me. I sold all my stuff when I moved into his place because he had everything we needed. I have no place to go and no access to any money. He gives me forty dollars a week to do whatever I want with and that's all. I don't know what do to." She said. Jonathan sighed and started rubbing her skin. He had been right, it was soft, maybe the softest he had ever felt.

" What about your friends? Can you go to live with any of them?" He asked.

" None of them really know what's happening. I mean, I'm sure they do. I'm sure I'm lying to myself when I say that but I wouldn't ask any of them. He would come after me and I don't want them involved." Elliot said.

" What if I knew of a place you could live and work? Would you leave than?" Jonathan asked. Hope flashed through her eyes so bright that he knew he was doing the right thing.

" I...I don't know." She said.

" I have a loft over the bakery. It's not much, a bed, a desk, a small kitchen area, a TV, but it's free. I sometimes sleep here if I have to work late. Because it's above the bakery, it has an alarm on the door. I could also use some help around here." Jonathan offered.

" Are you serious?" She asked.

" Yeah. I can teach you how to bake. I can give you a paycheck, you don't have to pay rent, I could..." Elliot was up in a flash. She pulled him out of his chair, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, making Jonathan smile. Carefully he put his arms around her. His hands flattened on her back. "If that a yes?"

" Yes!" She said excitedly. " You have no idea what you are doing for me."

_She hugged me so tightly, I couldn't stop grinning. She smelled amazing, like something sweet I couldn't name. I just held her close to me, with my arms around her waist. Her small arms were around my neck and her face was against my neck. I'm embarrassed to admit but I had to shift my hips away from her. I got turned on, having her against me like that. She was almost jumping with excitement and that made her body rub against him. It kind of felt good. It's been a long time since I was with a woman and she felt great._

" When can you move in?" Jonathan asked. " Do you want to come now? I could close the shop and come with you to get your clothes."

" I can't ask you to do that." Elliot said.

" You're not. I'm offering." He said. They had pulled away but they stayed in each other's arms. His hands were resting on her hips while hers were on his forearms. " Is he home now?"

" No. He works until five. I could go now and pack up. I really only have my clothes, a few books and pictures." She said while she stared up at him.

" Than let's go. The sooner you are away from him the better you will feel." Jonathan said.

Her hands slid up his arms and to his shoulders again. She pulled him down and hugged him tightly again. Jonathan closed his eyes and rubbed her back. She was tiny and he couldn't remember anyone ever fitting so nicely against him before. How could any guy hit this girl, Jonathan would never know. How why anyone hit her? Was it hard that he wanted to stay like this for a long as he could?

" Thank you, Jonathan." She whispered a second before she kissed his cheek. " You have just changed my life."

NRNRNR

Jonathan drove in his car behind hers as he followed her through town to her apartment. She kept looking in her rear view mirror at him with her heart in her throat. He was the complete opposite of Mitch, the complete opposite of most of the guys she dated but she was still wildly attracted to him. She wasn't sure if it was the soft way he spoke or the casual way he walked and held himself or if it was his looks overall. He had the most amazing color of blue in his eyes, Mitch's were brown. His hair was dark brown, with the sides and front sometimes hanging in his eyes. It was longish with the back sitting on the collar of his shirt. It never looked like he combed it, instead, she was sure he just ran his hands through it. Mitch, on the other hand, had to have every piece of hair in it's place. Mitch was completely clean shaven where as Jonathan had a light dusting of facial hair on his chin and above his upper lip. His arms, chest, and stomach looked tight and strong. Jonathan was gentle, Mitch...

With her hands shaking, Elliot pulled into a parking space in front of her apartment building. She climbed out of the car as Jonathan pulled up beside her. Together they made their way towards the stairs. He was quiet thankfully. She didn't want to say anything, didn't know what to say. She never thought she would have allowed herself to become an abused woman. Now she was scared. What if Mitch was home?

" Shit." She said when they reached her door.

" What? What's wrong?" Jonathan asked.

" I have a dog." Elliot said, looking back at him. " Is that a problem?"

" Not for me, I love dogs." Jonathan said.

_We packed up her stuff as quickly as we could. She threw her clothes and stuff into bags which I carried down to her car. She grabbed her books and a few other things, then put her dog, Madison, on a leash and left the apartment. She didn't write the boyfriend a note or anything, she just left. I was waiting down by her car when she almost bounced down the stairs. Her face was so light and she looked happy. Watching her, seeing her like that for the first time since I met her, made it hard for me to breath. I guess I never realized how sad she really was. I mean, I knew she was upset when she would come into the bakery but I didn't know how sad she really was. She was beautiful but with hope lighting her features, yeah, she took my breath away. Did I saw that already?_

" Ready?" Jonathan asked, taking her last box from her.

" Yes." She said. " And don't worry, he doesn't know where the bakery is. He doesn't know that I have been going there."

" I wasn't worried. I'm pretty sure if he came at me, I could handle him. I can fight when I need too." Jonathan said, making her nod and smile. " Come on, let's get the hell out of here. I'm sure you're ready to leave this place behind."

" Yeah, you have no idea."


	4. Chapter 4

_* Please Review!*_

Jonathan's loft had big windows that lined one of the walls. There was a mattress on the floor, a TV and DVD player sitting at the bottom of the bed and shelves all over the place. Off to the right was a desk, a small kitchen unit, a table and the bathroom. And that was all there was but Elliot felt excited. She felt light, and carefree for the first time since before her and Mitch had started dated.

" Well, this is it. It's kind of a mess, sorry. I sort of use it for storage." Jonathan said, sitting down the boxes he had carried.

" It's perfect, Jay. Thank you." She said.

" Well, I don't know about that but it's something." He said. He watched as she walked over to the windows and looked out with her arms crossed over her chest. She sighed loudly then faced him with a smile. Madison started to wonder around, sniffing and checking out her new home.

" No, it's perfect, honestly." She leaned against the window sill with a smile. " I love it." Jonathan smiled and brought his right hand to his lips. He tapped against his bottom lip for a few seconds. Just taking in her smile and happiness.

" Well, I better go and reopen the bakery. Why don't you take the day to settle in?" He said when he dropped his hand to his side.

" I thought you wanted me to work in the shop." Elliot said.

" Yeah, I do but not today. It's been a big day for you. Settle in. You can start tomorrow. There is stuff in the fridge, I keep it stocked, so feel free to eat and drink whatever you want. And do whatever you want in here, okay? Move stuff around, whatever. Sheets and towels are cleaned and there is more in the bathroom." Jonathan asked.

" Thank you." She said, again.

" No problem. I'll check on you later." He patted her dog's head, they exchanged goodbyes and he walked out, closing the door behind him. A few seconds later his phone went off.

_'_ Hey, Casey! This has been the best day already!' Her text said.

' Has it? What happen?' He answered as he started down the hallway towards the stairs.

' I was just given the chance to start over again. I have a fresh, new beginning. I got a job, a place to live and I'm single.' Jonathan grinned. She was happy and he had helped with that.

' That's great.' He answered.

He worked hard the rest of the day, texting her as he went. She hadn't come down once but he heard moving around coming from the loft. He was pissed that Mitch had put his hands on her and part of him wanted to wait for this boyfriend and beat his ass. Jonathan could, he wasn't scared of fighting and he was a good fighter and he knew it.

' What are you doing?' He sent her.

' Just setting up and thinking.' Her answer read.

' That's funny. I was thinking too. What are you thinking about?' He asked.

' You first.' Elliot said.

' I'm thinking about you.' Jonathan answered as he sat at his desk. He was bold but he could be, through the texts anyway.

' What about me?' She asked.

' How amazing your smile is. About how much I like the sound of your voice.' He answered without thinking.

' You have only heard my voice once and that was weeks ago.' She said. Jonathan smiled.

' Yeah well, it has stuck with me.'

' You flatter me. You make me feel good about myself.' She texted.

' You should feel good about yourself. You are beautiful.'

' You don't even know me. You saw me twice.'

' Doesn't matter. I can tell through your texts.'

_On her first night of freedom, I brought Elliot dinner and she was so grateful, she hugged me. I couldn't stop grinning. I really like the way she feels against me. It was just fired chicken but she acted like it was a lobster dinner. We ate together at the small table in the loft, talking together and laughing. I almost told her about Art, almost. I almost asked her out but I didn't. She just broke up with her boyfriend. I wanted her to have time to recovery from him. I didn't want to be her rebound. I wanted to be more._

" Fucking bitch." Mitch spit out when he realized Elliot had moved out. He pulled out his phone and clicked on his GPS. " I'll find you, bitch."

NRNRNR

_Three weeks Elliot has been working for me and it has been great. She learns fast and has a great new ideas. She made me a few samples of muffins and cupcakes, combining things I would never dared before. She made a cupcake we decided to call french toast. It was great. We have made others, one we even put bacon on. I was unsure of it but people love it. My profits have shot up, thanks to Elliot._

_We continue to text each other, with her in the dark that it's me. She talks about me to me. She tells me, Casey, how grateful she is for me but I don't want her grateful. I want her to like me. I want her to want me like I want her. And man do I want her. Now more than ever. Since leaving Mitch and moving into the loft, she has changed, for the better. There is color in her cheeks instead of the paleness that was there before. She laughs, she jokes. Gone is the sadness that was all over her face before. Gone is the haunted look in her eyes. She's happy._

_We have dinner every Thursday night. Because the bakery is doing so well, I have been able to hire a caregiver for Art. She sits with him during the day and on Thursday nights. It eases my mind to know he's cared for. I don't have to rush home at lunch or when the shop closes. I can spend more time with Elliot and I love that. We have dinner then either play a board card or cards, or we sit on the floor, leaning against the bed and watch movies. She loves scary movies, the more people getting their throats ripped out the better she likes it. Makes me laugh. No romantic comedies for her._

' I need to be honest with you.' Elliot's text read.

Jonathan was sitting in his car, outside the loft. Their dinner was in a bag, sitting on the passenger seat beside him. She didn't know he was there yet and was sitting on one of the window sills, just where he could see her. She was leaning back, giving him her profile. Her knees were bent and she had her phone resting against her knees.

' About what?' He answered.

' I really like talking to you and I'd like to meet you but I think I need to tell you that I have become interested in someone.' Jonathan's heart stopped. His mouth went dry.

' What? Who?' He texted.

' You remember the man I told you about? The one with the bakery and who let me live in the loft?' She asked. Jonathan's stomach dropped.

' What about him?' He looked through his windshield and up to her. She was smiling and playing with her hair, something he loved to watch.

' I like him and I want you to know because I don't want you to think I'm leading you on.'

' Like him how?' As his text reached her, she started to laugh as she covered her face. Jonathan started to grin. This was it!

' I'm really attracted to him. I like him a lot. He is a good man. He makes me laugh and feel good about myself. He tells me how smart he thinks I am and he laughs at my stupidness. He's playful and I can just be me. Crazy, stupid me.' Jonathan stepped out of his car, slamming the door loud. He glanced up to find her looking down at him. She waved as she smile. He waved back, feeling a surge of bravery flow through him.

' Are you going to tell him?' He texted back.

' No. I mean, he's my boss and I'm sure he doesn't look at me like that. I don't want to make things weird between us. Anyway, I just wanted you to know because we talk so much, I just wanted to be honest with my feelings.'

' You don't think about your ex? You're not thinking this guy could be a rebound, do you?' He asked. He couldn't handle being her rebound. If she just wanted to have sex, he'd fuck her. He'd have no problem having sex with her, but he wanted more. He liked her, he wanted more from her then just casual sex.

' No, no rebound. I'm completely over Mitch. I was over him before we broke up so I'm not worried there.' Elliot's answer floored him. He jogged up her stairs, needing to see her.

_I told Elliot tonight that I was the one texting her. I asked her out to dinner, as a date. _

" So you remember you were telling me about your friend? The one you text but have never met?" Jonathan asked as he watched her take their dinner out of the bag he had brought. He was fumbling with his phone, twirling it around in his hand while he watched her back. He was standing by the bed.

" Yeah, what about him?" Elliot asked. She waited for Jonathan to say something and when he didn't, Elliot turned around and smiled. " What about him?"

" Would you ever want to meet him?" He said as he started towards her. He was staring down at his phone, glancing up at her every once and a while.

" Why are you asking about him?" She asked as she laughed quietly. Jonathan took a deep breath then held his phone out to her, text messages up. " What are you doing?" She asked.

" Take it." Jonathan said. Elliot laughed again but reached out and plucked his phone from his hand. "Look at it." She shook her head and rolled her eyes with her smile firmly in place. She looked down at the screen...then back at him...then back at the screen.

" I...I don't...understand." She said. He could hear how hard she was breathing and see the flush that was creeping over her face. He put his hands in his pockets and just waited. Elliot looked back up at him. " It's you? You're the one I have been texting?"


	5. Chapter 5

_* Please Review! To those of you that have watched the movie, Jonathan's anger and rough side will come out but not yet. He was sweet with Emily so he will be sweet with Elliot but don't worry, this isn't a strictly fluff and stuff story. Please check out my friend's stories. Her name is knyte! She is going my army. The army hell bent of spreading the joy of Reedus to all of FFN*_

" Are you mad?" Jonathan asked when she didn't say anything after a while. Elliot sank down into a chair, his phone still in her hand. She was staring at it while he stared at her. He was nervous.

" Ah...um...no. No, I'm not mad." She said. Jonathan started to smile as a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He pulled out a chair and sat down so he was at her left. " I'm actually going through every conversation we have ever had through texts. I'm trying to remember if I said anything stupid."

" You didn't, I promise." He said quickly. She shook her head and set his phone down. She sighed and looked up at him.

" Maybe not but I did embarrass myself." She said as she started to blush.

" No, no way!" He said quickly. " You didn't." She laughed, standing up again.

" Are you kidding me? I just told you that I liked you. I just admitting to having a crush on you." She said while she crossed the room. She needed to move and not look at him. Jonathan had a very intense stare and she was getting nervous. " That's completely embarrassing." Jonathan turned in his chair.

" Well it would be if I didn't feel the same way." He said. She turned around to face him with a small frown on her face.

" What?"

_So I stood up and walked over her, telling her everything. I told her how I wrote her number down after I heard her rattle it off to her accountant and decided to text her. I told her how shocked I was when she came into the bakery and how I watched her while she sat there. I just told her everything. She let me take her hand and led her to the window sill. We sat there, holding hands with her looking me straight in my eyes while I talked. Her hand was tiny in mine. And soft. And warm, just like I knew it would be. It felt nice, holding her hand and having her let me._

_I told her how I thought she was beautiful and how her sadness drew me into her. She smiled and squeezed my hand. We just talked and laughed. She sat indian style on the sill, I sat facing her, with one leg on it and the other on the ground. Madison was curled between the wall and me. We started rubbing our fingers together, like we were both just feeling each other. I didn't tell her about Art, not yet. I wanted too but I didn't want to overwhelm her. I asked her out and she agreed. We are going on a date tomorrow. I already spoke with Art's caregiver, Vicky. She is going to sit with him and he's excited. He really likes Vicky._

' You know, when you said your last name is Casey, it didn't even dawn on me.' Elliot's text read. Jonathan was laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling and holding his phone up.

' I was nervous about that.' He answered.

' Is Mitch the reason you never told me you were texting me or why you didn't ask me out?' She asked.

' Yeah. I really didn't want to be your rebound guy.' He said, honestly.

' You're not going to be.'

_Our date went so good. I think we were both nervous about it because during the day, we kept looking at each other and smiling or laughing. She caught me watching her, I caught her watching me. It was actually fun. We started calling each other out on it so it became a game. I like that she stares at me and I sure as hell like staring at her._

_I took her to a little bar that was quiet. We sat in the back, talking over beers and hamburgers and fries. She is amusing to watch eating. She ate her burger like she eats her muffins, tears off pieces and popping them into her mouth. It's cute and I have to say, it's nice to see a woman eating. To many of them either don't eat or only order salads._

_We talked nonstop. And we laughed. A part of me had been worried that we won't have anything to say but the conversation just flowed so naturally between us, it was amazing. We didn't seem to run out things to say. She is an only child and she loves the fall. Her favorite color is purple and she grew up in small town. I told her that I have a brother but I didn't go into details about him. She doesn't know he's a child trapped in a twenty-three year old man's body. I'm just not ready to tell her that. _

_I walked her up to the loft afterwards, with us still talking. And holding hands. She actually took my hand in the car. I have to admit, I latched onto her and held tight. My mind was swirling as we walked slowly up the stairs. Would she invite me in? Should I go if she did? If she wanted to sleep with me right away, would I? And the answer to the last two was the same. Yes. If she invited me in, I would go. If she wanted to sleep with me, I would. I like her, don't get me wrong. I think her and I could have something real cool and amazing but I'm also a guy, a guy who hasn't gotten laid in a while and I'm super attracted to her. I mean, the last time I had sex was five months before hand and that had been a one night stand. A quick fuck that hadn't been any good. I mean, I had gotten off but it hadn't felt any better than when I jerk myself off. So yeah, she wanted to have sex with me, I was going to do it._

_But we didn't. She didn't invite me in and I have to respect her for that. Inside I knew she won't. She wasn't like that. She wasn't that type of girl. Yeah, I was disappointed but I could wait. Instead of asking me in, she thanked me for the date and hugged me tightly. She kissed my cheek and that small little thing shot a feel straight down to my dick. I got hard right away._

_And to my surprise, she asked me to come over Sunday, said she'd make me lunch. We knew we'd see each other tomorrow since the Bakery was open but she asked me to hang out Sunday anyway. I told her yes without thinking. I hadn't thought about Art. I hadn't thought about asking Vicky, I just said yes to Elliot. This girl, there is just something about her that I crave. It's like I need to be with her. _

_Lucky for me, Vicky asked me if she could take Art some place Sunday. She wants to take him to meet others like him. It's some kind of home for the mental ill. She's not trying to say he belongs there, she said. She just thinks it might be good for him to see others that are like him. To make friends. I agreed right away. Because I agree with her, it would be good him, and because I want to see Elliot._

_Damn, I can't wait until tomorrow. The bakery is open for six hours and I had only scheduled the two of us. Six hours of just me and Elliot. I never wanted to go to work so bad in my life before._

' I meant what I said.' Elliot's text read.

' About what?' Jonathan asked.

' I had a really good time with you.' Jonathan grinned to himself.

' I did too.' He answered.

' I really like you.'

_Did I mention that she is really straight forward? She wants to tell me something, she does. I dig that. I think that's awesome._

' Good because I really like you.' He said.

' I feel like I can tell you that because I feel like I know you. I mean, we have talked in person and through texts so it seems like we are passed that weird, getting to know each other phrase.' Elliot said. She was stroking Madison's head as she sat on the big window sill, her favorite purple blanket was draped over her legs. Madison was sitting beside her, her big head resting on Elliot.

' I feel the same actually.' Jonathan said.

' I'm going to be completely honest and open with you because I don't like playing games. I don't like wondering if you like me or not. I don't want to sit around, wondering if you're going to call me or if I should call you.' Jonathan liked that. He liked her just telling him what she thought.

' I don't want to play games either. I hate that part of dating someone. I do like you and if you want to text me or call me, do it because I'm going to do the same. I don't want to wonder shit either.' He answered.

' So we are on the same page than? We will be honest with what we're thinking? If it turns out that you don't like me, you'll tell me and I'll do the same. We won't pretend.' Elliot answered.

' Sounds good but don't expect that to happen. I have liked you for a while, I don't think that's going to go away the more I get to know you. I think it's just going to grow.' Jonathan said. " You're a pretty awesome girl, you know that? Not to mention the fact that you are really beautiful.'

' Stop, you are making me blush.' She said.

' You look cute when you blush. I think I will do things to make you blush more often.' Jonathan said with a grin.

' lol. Goodnight, Jay.' Jonathan laughed to himself.

' Goodnight, El.'

" So, you think you can just break up with me and start over? I don't think so, Sweetheart." Mitch spit out as he watched her smile down at her phone.


	6. Chapter 6

_* Please Review! *_

_Today I have been dating Elliot for two weeks and tonight we took things farther than we ever have. We got very intimate. We had just been kissing here and there. Some have been quick, little kisses, others deeper and strong but tonight..._

Elliot was breathing hard as she pushed Jonathan's jacket off his shoulders. His hands were holding on tight to her hips while his fingers gripped her to him. While his tongue danced with hers, he pulled his right arm away from her. She pushed that side of the jacket down his arm. He shook it, forcing the jacket to move faster then replaced his hand on her. He slipped it around her, flattening his palm against her lower back and pulling her against him. His left hand let her go and the pushing and shaking started there until he was completely free from the outerwear. His left hand went to her neck. His palm came to her throat and his thumb went to her cheek.

He tilted his head to one side while she moved to the other. He backed her up until the mattress hit her legs. She grabbed his shirt while she took his tongue deep in her mouth. His hand closed on the fabric of shirt, pulling it up and off her back so he could touch her bare skin. Together they climbed onto her bed, never pulling apart and still moving their heads in opposite directions.

Side by side they laid down. He slipped his left leg in between hers. Their hips moved together in a slow dance. His thigh rubbed her core through the soft pants she was wearing. Her hip rubbed his erection. He brought both hands to her neck, needing and wanting to touch her skin more. Her heart was beating frantically against his palm. His breath was spreading across her cheek in an equally fast pace.

He yanked his mouth away from her and forced her head to the side. A growl passed through his lips as he latched onto her throat and started to suck hard. A loud gasp escaped her while she clutched him to her harder. His left hand traveled down her body to her hip. He grabbed a hold of her belt loops and pulled her against him even more.

Together they rolled, putting her on her back and him on top of her. He thrust his hips into her. She arched her head back and moaned. The sound moved through Jonathan's mouth and down his body, settling down inside his pants. It forced him to grind himself harder against her, faster. But she accepted it. She rubbed herself against him, needing the contact more than anything she had ever needed in her life. Her hands moved into his hair, tugging and pulling at it.

" Jay." She whispered into the open air. He smashed his mouth against hers again.

_Honestly, how I held it together, I have no idea. I wanted to fuck her so bad. She wanted it too but I just couldn't do it and I didn't know why. It wasn't until I got home and tucked Art into bed that it hit me. I couldn't sleep with her until she knew about him, until she met him. I wanted her to meet him. Because I couldn't make her a casual thing. I wanted something real with her._

" Just take them off." Elliot begged as she wiggled under Jonathan.

" Not yet." He whispered.

He lightly bit down onto her neck while his hand slipped into her pants, and into her panties. She bucked her hips as he let his index finger trail down the center of her. He groaned at the warmth and wetness he found there. She thrust her hand into his open zipper and straight into his boxers. Jonathan groaned as she took a hold of him. She squeezed and down his length while he circled her. He matched her movements and it only took a few seconds before she figured it out. She slowed her strokes, making him slow his circles. He brought his face to hers with his tongue flicking out and over his bottom lip.

_So I am a little embarrassed to admit this but I came straight into her hand. I couldn't help it. When she started to orgasm, I just lost it. She was so tight against my fingers and her moans were like nothing I had ever heard. She was stroking me and I lost it. It just felt so damn good. I'm actually getting hard while I'm writing this. I never let a girl jerk me off before, I came like a fucking teenager. Afterwards, when we were both relaxing and coming down, we just made out. She is such a good kisser and kissing is one of my favorite things to do._

" Are you seeing anyone else?" Elliot whispered against his lips while they made out by his car.

" No. You?" Jonathan whispered before shoving his tongue back into her mouth. His hands were buried deep into her hair. He pressed her against his car, pushing his hips into her again.

" No." She answered when he let her speak.

" Do you want too?" Jonathan asked.

" No." Elliot whispered. Jonathan smiled and pulled away just enough to look into her eyes. Her cheeks were flushing again and her eyes were going dark, just like they did when he was touching her in the bed.

" So it's just you and me than." He whispered. His hands moved to her neck so she reached up and took a hold of his wrists.

" I guess so." Elliot said.

" Is that okay with you? You want a girlfriend/boyfriend thing with me?" Jonathan asked. Elliot bit into her bottom lip and nodded.

NRNRNR

Jonathan unlocked the door to the bakery and walked in the next morning with his smile bright. He was excited. He was nervous. He bypassed the shop and went right for the stairs. They always baked the morning bread and things together. It was early but she would be up and ready. She'd have coffee going for them too. He jogged up the stairs and right over to her door. She heard him and open the door with a bright smile.

" Hi." She said. Jonathan smiled a second before took a hold of her hips and kissed her.

" Hi." He whispered.

" Coffee?" Elliot asked without opening her eyes. Her blood was heating from the simple touch of his lips against hers. Jonathan pulled her to him while squeezing her sides. She was glad to feel she wasn't the only one affected by such a small act.

" Yeah." Jonathan said with his voice husky, pulling away from her. She smiled as she turned and started towards her coffee pot. " So I want to ask you something." He said while he shut the door.

" Okay." Elliot said. She grabbed down the two to-go cups and set them on the counter. Jonathan watched her back while he rubbed his bottom lip.

" I want you to come to my place for dinner." He said.

" Sure." Elliot said. She poured their cream into the cups then moved to the coffee pot.

" The thing is, I live with my brother and he isn't normal." Jonathan pushed out. Elliot frowned and turned around with a cup in one hand and the coffee pot in the other.

" Isn't normal how?" She asked while she poured out the hot liquid. Jonathan tapped his bottom lip. This was it. It was now or never. He would tell her and she would either accept it or not and even if she did, there was no telling what she would do when she actually met him.

" He's...he's retarded. He's grown but his mind is like a child's, like a seven year child." He said when he dropped his hand from his mouth.

" Okay. That's not a problem." She said. She set his cup down then moved to grab hers.

" You sure?" Jonathan asked. " It doesn't bother you?"

" No. Why would it?" Elliot asked.

" He's sort of a lot to handle." Jonathan said. He reached down and patted the top of Madison's head since the door decided to join them. " And if he doesn't like you, he can be rude."

" Does he like dogs?" Elliot said.

_Elliot is coming over tomorrow. I'm nervous. I talked to Art, told him that I have a girlfriend and she's coming to meet him. He didn't say anything. He just shoved his dinner into his mouth. That usually means he's upset or mad. When he refuses to talk it can be as bad as when he throws a fit. Elliot is bring Madison. She thinks the dog will soften Art towards her. He does like dogs. I hope she's right because I really like her and I don't want him to chase her away. _

" She's here!" Jonathan yelled towards the back of the house where Art was coloring in his room. " Be nice! I'm serious!" He swallowed down his nerves and opened the door with a smile. " Hi." Elliot smiled.

" Hi."

" Come in." He moved out of the doorway and let his girlfriend and her pet into the house. His stomach was a mess. With his hand shaking, he reached out and took her overnight bag from her. " Let's stash this in my room then you can meet Art."

After he shut the door, Jonathan took her hand and started pulling her towards his room which was on the other side of the house. They crossed the living room, walked through the hallway and came to a closed door. Jonathan opened it, pulled her and the dog in then dropped her bag. She was going to spend the night and Jonathan hoped that meant sex. He was praying Art didn't ruin the night for hm because he really wanted to have sex with this girl. Really needed to sleep with her. They had had another round of heavy petting the night before and yeah, they had both gotten off all over each other's hand but he was desperate to lose himself inside her. Desperate to know what orgasming inside her would feel like because cumming on her hand was amazing.

" You ready?" Jonathan asked her.

" Yeah, are you?" Elliot asked. Jonathan exhaled but nodded.

" I guess."

" It's going to be fine, Jay. Don't worry." She said. She took a hold of his shirt and gently pulled him against her. " Relax, okay? I can feel the tension in you." Jonathan smiled and put his arms around her waist.

" Is that all you can feel?" He asked, his voice laced with lust. Elliot smiled while his head lowered.

" Oh no. I feel something else." She asked as her eyes shut.

" Yeah? Good. It's all for you, you know?" Jonathan said before he nibbled against her bottom lip. Her hands came to his chest. She pushed them up to his shoulders.

" Is it now?" She whispered. Jonathan smiled then captured her lips with his.

His tongue moved into her mouth with ease. A slow, sensual dance began at once. Jonathan squeezed her hips. She put her arms around his neck. She sucked lightly against the tip, he groaned and yanked on her harder than he meant too. She whimpered in a sigh. Jonathan could do this all night. He could say, ' fuck it' to meeting Art and push her straight to his bed. He wanted too, almost did, until he heard Art calling out for him.

" Fuck." Jonathan whispered. Elliot smiled and laughed.

" Come on." She said.

" Jonathan?" Art asked from the hallway.

" Elliot, I..." He shook his head while he stared at her. She smiled and framed his face.

" Relax, okay? It's going to be fine." She promised.

" I just, I don't want lose you before I have really had a chance to have you. Like I said, he's a lot to deal with." Jonathan said.

" You worry too much." She said before quickly giving him a peck.

" Jonathan? Where are you?" Art asked. Jonathan took her hand and faced his door. He pulled it open and looked at his brother with a sigh.

" Hey, Art. I'm right here." He said.

" You got her in there?" Art asked as he started to play with his fingers.

" Yeah. You gonna remember your manners?" Jonathan asked. Art nodded as he dropped his head down. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

" Yeah. I say hi. I say thank you and welcome, I pee with the door shut and I can't walk around in my underwear." Art muttered.

" That's right." Jonathan looked back at Elliot who smiled and took a hold of his arm. He pulled her into the door way. " Art, this is Elliot. Elliot, this is my younger brother Art."

" Hi, Art." Elliot said. He glanced up at her then back down at his hands from his spot at the end of the hall.

" Art." Jonathan said with a warning in his tone when Art didn't respond.

" Hi." He said, shyly. Madison pushed her head between Jonathan and Elliot to peer at the newcomer. The movement caught Art's attention. " Is that...is that your dog?" Elliot looked down at Madison and smiled. She started to rub the dog's head, while she smiled back at Art.

" Yeah. Would you like to touch her?" She asked. One of Jonathan's hands came to her back. He slipped it under her shirt and started to rub circles against her lower back.

" Yeah." Art said. Elliot dropped the dog's leash.

" Her name is Madison, or Maddie. All you have to do is call her. Hold your hand out so she can smell you." Elliot said.

" Come here, Maddie." Art said.

Madison pulled away from the couple and started down the hall. Art was grinning as he held his hand out. Madison slowed her pace and stretched out her neck. Elliot put her arm around Jonathan's waist and bunched his shirt in her hand. She looked up at him, leaned up and gently kissed his cheek while her dog carefully checked Art out. Jonathan smiled at Elliot.

" Well isn't this cute?" Mitch asked as he stood across from Jonathan's house and watched the three through the big living room window. Jonathan and Elliot were smiling at each other over their dinner. Art was grinning at Madison. " Found yourself a family, huh bitch?"


	7. Chapter 7

_* Please review!*_

Jonathan and Elliot sat on his couch together with his arm around her shoulders and her hand resting on his thigh. He was stroking her arm, slowly up and down while she scratched at him. Both were smiling at his brother who was sitting on the floor with Madison. He was pulling tug of war with one of the toys Elliot had brought over. The five year old chocolate lab was in heaven and Art couldn't stop laughing.

_Dinner went well, I was surprised. Madison sat right by Art who ate all his food and chewed with his mouth shut. He actually made me proud. He kept his eyes glued on Madison and I was so glad Elliot had brought her. She was right, having the dog there seemed to make Art accept Elliot more. He wasn't being loud or mean like he had with some of the other women I had brought home before. He wasn't talking outright to her but he had smiled a few times at things she said._

" Okay, buddy, it's time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed." Jonathan said as he pulled away from Elliot. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. " Why don't you go to my room? I'll be there shortly." He whispered. She smiled as excitement burst through her. She knew just what that meant.

" Okay." She whispered. Jonathan took her hand and together they stood up.

" Say goodnight to Elliot, Art." He said to his brother. Art looked up from his spot on the floor.

" Elliot, can your dog sleep in my bed with me?" He asked.

" Ah buddy," Jonathan started.

" I think she'd like that." Elliot said quickly. Art grinned and looked back to Madison. Jonathan smiled and squeezed her hand. When she smiled at him, he moved it closed and lightly kissed her.

" Thank you." He whispered. She took a hold of his shirt and kissed him harder then he kissed her.

" Hurry up." She whispered. With a almost painful effort, Jonathan pulled away from her and cleared his throat.

" Come on, Art. You need to brush your teeth." He said. He casted one more look behind him to his girlfriend before helping his brother up. She started to his room while Jonathan led Art and Madison towards the other side of the house.

" So, you like Elliot?" Jonathan asked as he leaned against the door frame of the bathroom. Art nodded, leaning over the sink to spit out his toothpaste. " You were really good tonight. You were nice. Thank you for remembering your manners." Art grinned, put his toothbrush down and swiped his arm across his lips to clear away the extra toothpaste and water.

" I think she's pretty. Prettier than the others." He said, making Jonathan smile.

" Yeah, she sure is. It's nice of her to let Maddie sleep in the bed with you. I think tomorrow morning you should color her a thank you card." Jonathan said.

" Okay." Art agreed quickly. " Come on, Maddie. Let's go to my room."

Jonathan placed his hands in his pockets and followed behind his brother. All he really wanted to do was rush to his room and jump in bed with Elliot but he forced himself to be calm and to relax. He and Art had a routine, a routine that they had to follow to ensure a smooth night. Having Elliot and Madison there was a big enough disruption for Art, so Jonathan wasn't going to push it but rushing things along.

" Let's get your pajamas on, okay Buddy?" Jonathan asked as they reached the brother's room.

" Can Maddie sleep in my bed?" Art asked at the same time the dog jumped onto his bed and laid down.

" I guess so." Jonathan said with a smile. " Sit down and get your shoes off."

Like he did every night, Jonathan pulled out a pair of pajamas then helped Art get undressed then dressed again. He slipped a tee shirt over Art's head then handed over the pajama pants. He lined up Art's shoes, placed his dirty clothes in the basket by the closet then waited until Art was completely ready. His brother settled into the bed with a grin. He threw his arm around Maddie and the dog let him pull her close.

" Okay, try and remember, in the morning, that we have a guest and that it's a girl." Jonathan said. He bent down and adjusted the blankets around Art. " If Elliot and I aren't up when you get up, make sure you go to the bathroom with the door shut. You can make yourself some cereal and watch cartoons quietly."

" Can I let Maddie out?" Art asked as he looked at his brother.

" Yes. Put her on her leash, it's by the front door, and walk her around the backyard. Do not let her off that leash, do you hear me, Art?" Jonathan asked.

" I hear you."

" Good night." Art closed his eyes with a smile and cuddled his face into Madison's fur.

" Night." He muttered.

Jonathan's excitement spiked while he gently closed Art's door. He couldn't move fast enough through the house. When his bedroom door came into view, his dick jumped straight up. His brain was zoned in on one thing. Two words were running around inside his head, over and over again, banging against his skull. His pants were too tight and his balls felt like they were tighten up.

' Elliot, sex, Elliot, sex. Sex, Elliot, sex, Elliot.' Over and over again. Every time his heart beat, one of the words slammed in his brain. He was tight. He was hard. He was ready for her. His hands were into fists at his side. Their playtime felt amazing, he couldn't imagine how great the sex was going to be. The inside of her body was tight and warm and he couldn't wait to feel it against his dick. Jonathan's hand was shaking as he reached out and slowly opened the door.

" Oh man." He breathed out when he saw her. Elliot was laying on top of his covers, naked and smiling. Her legs were out in front of her, crossed at her ankles. Her upper body was propped up by her elbows.

" See something you like?" She purred. Jonathan nodded, pushing the door shut with his back.

" Everything I like." He barely got out. She continued to smiled while she watched his eyes take her in. She had been nervous about stripping down and letting him see her completely naked, with the lights on but the look on his face told her she had made the right choice. His eyes were moving everywhere at once.

" Are you going to come to bed?" She asked.

" Not yet. I want to memorize you, just like this. How the fuck did I get so lucky?" He asked. He grabbed his shirt and yanked it off, letting it fall to the floor. He shred his shoes next. His hands went to his belt while his eyes zoned in on her center.

_I never wanted to go down on a woman more than I wanted too at that moment._

There was a small patch of soft curls between her legs, the same gold color as her hair. He liked that she kept herself neat and trimmed and didn't let herself go wild or shave it all off. As his belt gave way, his eyes went to her navel. It was pierced twice, once at the top and once at the bottom. Each side of her small tummy had a tattoo. The left side was a sun and the right side was a moon. He opened his pants while taking in her breasts. He had felt them through her bra but hadn't actually gotten to see them.

As soon as Jonathan's pants fell down his legs, he stepped out of them, opping to keep his boxers on. He walked to the bed and reached out. His hands tighten on her ankles. Carefully, he guided her legs apart. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her right cafe muscle. He scrapped his teeth against her skin, making her sigh. He looked up her body, happy to see her eyes shut and her lips parted.

Jonathan's hands were strong and hot against her skin. Or was it her skin that was hot? She couldn't stop the moan that escaped her as he traveled up her body, alternating from kissing to licking up her legs. He moved from one leg to the next. Elliot's head fell back as chills raced through her. Mitch never cared about her pleasure, never cared about how turned on she was or wasn't. Anytime they had sex, he coated himself in K-Y jelly rather than touch her to make her wet.

When Jonathan reached the center of her body, he nestled into her, making sure he didn't touch her super sensitive spot. She shivered, causing him to look up at her. Inside, he puffed his chest out. He licked across his bottom lip while gently spreading her open. She sucked in her stomach and he heard her swallow loudly.

" How long has it been since anyone played with you like this? Before we started messing around?" He whispered as he moved in closer to her.

" Too long." She whispered with her voice trembling.

He ran the tip of his tongue in a slow circle around the top of her core that made her cry out right away. He looked up as he latched on. As he tugged and sucked against her nerves, she collapsed down onto his bed. Her legs bent and spread. Her arms spread out and her little hands gripped at his sheet. Using his left hand, he pushed in his index finger and then his middle one. While he licked and sucked her tiny bub, his fingers found the sweet spot. He cocked them and pressed up before he started to rub.

" Oh my God..." She moaned out, bring her hands to her hair.

Her fingers spread out and pulled while her back arched, pushing her breasts up into the air. Slowly he worked her over, loving how her hips twisted and her thighs trembled. He couldn't help himself, he reached down between his body and the bed and palmed himself. He started to stroke his swollen cock, just needing some contact before he died.

" Jonathan! Stop, please!" She begged one minute. " Don't stop! Right there, oh God please!" She begged the next.

The sounds of sucking mixed in with her cries. He had stop, if he didn't, they were both going to cum and he really wanted to have sex with her. Needed to have sex with her. He pulled his fingers out of her, lavished her with one more suck then started making his way up her body. Her chest was sawing, up and down, with her hard pants. His hands framed her sides while he kissed and sucked his way up her body.

Elliot swallowed while she whimpered like a baby. Her entire body was alive with sensation. Her skin was over heated and she couldn't think straight. The ends of his hair lightly brushed against her breasts, teasing her nipples into a hard, twin peaks. She never wanted anyone so much in her left. His tongue touched her left nipple a second before he closed his mouth around her. She twitched under him and grabbed as his boxers.

" Take them off!" She begged.

" If they come off than I'm going to be inside you." Jonathan muttered.

" Please?" She whispered.

Mitch couldn't hear anything through the window but he didn't need too to know what they were doing. There was a candle flicking in the room and he could see slight movements of the shadows through the blind that wasn't closed all the way. The top shadow was thrusting, the bottom shadow was arching. The movements were slow at first, slower than Mitch would have ever done. Mitch shook his head. Bit by bit the thrusting went faster, seem to hit harder, over and over again until the bottom figure froze in what Mitch was sure was an orgasm. The top figure pushed forward then it froze. Mitch's teeth were smashed together, his molars grinding. He needed to hit something and hit it now.


	8. Chapter 8

_* Please Review! Okay I will be honest will you, __**Vexingvixen**__, none of the windows in my house have curtains because we like the natural light coming in. My bedroom window has a sheer curtain but I know you can see straight into my room. It's weird, I know, but I prefer the open feeling and natural light.*_

Jonathan kissed down her spine as Elliot smiled with her eyes shut. She was laying on her stomach, in his bed, with both arms under his pillow. He had one hand planted on her ass while his other one was lightly playing along her side. He paused in the kissing to nestle his nose into her skin. He pressed himself into her side and squeezed her ass.

" I need to get up and check on Art." Jonathan's voice was husky from sleep and want.

" I should let Maddie out." Elliot whispered.

" I'm sure Art did but I'll check. Stay in here, be warm, Babe. I'm going to start coffee then I'll be back for a proper good morning." Jonathan said, making her laugh.

" What's a proper good morning?" She asked.

" Mmmm, I can't tell you everything because then there won't be any surprise but I can tell you something." He muttered with his lips touching her skin and his hand skimming down her ass.

" And what's that?" She asked.

" A proper good morning always starts and ends right here." He said as he sank a finger inside her core. She moaned and tensed her muscles as he started to rub.

" I think I'm going to like this kind of good morning." She moaned out. Jonathan smiled and sucked in her skin again while his finger circled the inside of her.

" Five minutes, Babe. Five minutes then it's off to heaven." He breathed. She pushed up and into his hand.

" Two more minutes of that and I'm off to heaven." Elliot whispered.

" Not without me." Jonathan said, pulling out of her right away. Elliot's eyes flew open.

" Hey!" She protested as she turned her head so she could see him. " I was enjoying that!"

" Yeah, I know. Maybe a little to much if you were getting ready to cum." Jonathan said, moving to the other side of the bed.

She brought her hand down and out from under the pillow. She pressed her fist against her mouth to hide her smile while she watched him. He pushed the sheet off him while keeping his back to her. He stood up, seeming to not care that he was naked and aroused. She held her breath, completely amazed that such a hot guy wanted her. His arms, shoulders, back, his chest and stomach...yeah they were making her want to melt right away. He kept his body tight and in good shape. She knew just how strong his arms were and how amazing his shoulders felt when they were working.

As he bent down and grabbed his boxers, her mouth started to water. He turned around as he pulled his boxers up and winked at her. She blushed and wiped her head away fast with a squeal, both knowing she had been catch checking him. Jonathan burst into laughter as he turned back around and went into his bathroom.

A second later, his sink kicked on. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. She cursed herself for being a baby and being embarrassed. They were pass that, weren't they? After all, they had already given each other three orgasms, had sex and his head had been buried between her legs. Should she really be embarrassed for checking him out? He was her boyfriend and he checked her out. She had caught him over and over again, even before they started dating. But she couldn't help it. His body was flawless in her eyes. His chest and stomach had just the right amount of hair, enough to pull and play with but not enough for him to be mistaken as a bear. His arms and chest were cut, not WWE cut, but enough that showed her that he took care of himself.

Jonathan rubbed his collarbone, fingering the small bite mark Elliot had given him during her orgasm. He grinned while his other hand worked his toothbrush through his mouth. That girl was something else. He couldn't wait to check on his brother then crawl back in bed with his little girlfriend. Jonathan had plans. He wanted to suck on her nipples while he moved above her. He wanted one of those little pink pearls in his mouth when he came inside her. Jonathan groaned to himself at the thought while he leaned over and raised his mouth out.

" Babe, I don't want to see you in clothes when I come back." He said when he came out of his bathroom. He snatched up a pair of pajama pants that were laying in clean clothes basket. " And you need to be in my bed."

" I'm just going to pee and brush my teeth then I will be waiting." Elliot promised.

" No blankets. I want to see you. Your body is to hot to be covered." He said while he slipped on his sweats. She giggled, making him laugh. Quickly he ducked out of his room, closing the door behind him. The sounds of cartoons came from the living room, telling him that Art was up. As he walked down the hallway, he heard his brother laughed.

" Did you see that, Maddie? I love this cartoon. Invader Zim is so funny but sometimes he gives me nightmares." Art said.

" Hey, Art, good morning." Jonathan said when he reached the living room.

" Morning." His brother answered. He was sitting on the floor, in between the couch and the table, coloring and watching TV.

" Did you let her out?" Jonathan asked. Madison looked right at home as she lounged across the couch.

" Yeah." He said.

" Did you eat and brush your teeth?" Jonathan asked.

" Yeah." Art answered.

" Okay. I'm going to make coffee then jump in the shower with Elliot. Stay out here and be good." Jonathan warned as he turned away.

" Can I have some candy?" Art called out.

" We don't have any candy." Jonathan answered, going right into the kitchen.

" I do! A man gave it to me this morning when I was out with Maddie." Jonathan frowned, turned and went right back into the living room.

" What?" He asked. " What guy?"

" There was a man outside when I went out this morning. He asked me..." Art clamped his mouth shut right away with his eyes wide. Jonathan's eyebrows drew together hard as he started towards his brother.

" He asked you what?"

" I'm not allowed to tell. I promised I won't and he gave me a sucker to not talk." Art whined.

" Art, you know better than to take candy from a stranger. What did he ask you?" Jonathan demanded. Art's shoulders fell with sadness.

" He asked if Elliot slept over." Jonathan stood up straight, feeling his anger spike. He narrowed his eyes and shot forward to check the windows and the doors.

" What did you say?" He asked.

" I said yeah. I said Elly was your girlfriend. Was that wrong?" Art asked as he stood up. " I didn't mean to be bad!"

" You weren't bad." Jonathan growled out, looking through the blinds as his eyes scanned the street.

" Jonathan, am I in trouble?" Art asked quietly. Jonathan looked back at his brother's panicked face then back out the window.

" No, Buddy, you're not." He pulled away and came to stand in front of Art. " Listen, I don't want you to talk to strangers or take anything from them. If someone asks you about Elliot, you tell them to mind their business. And let's not tell her anything about the man, okay?"

" Why?" Art asked.

" We don't want to worry her, right?" Jonathan asked. " We don't want to scare her by telling her someone is asking about her, right?"

" Yeah, okay." Art said. " But can I still have the candy?"

" No, Buddy. We don't know if he did something to it but I'll tell you what, I will buy two pieces of candy." Jonathan said.

" Okay. " He handed over the sucker he had been given.

" Thanks, Buddy." Jonathan said.

Jonathan moved around the kitchen as if on autopilot. There was no doubt in his mind that the visitor was Elliot's ex but what he couldn't figure out was how the man had found them at his place. Unless Mitch was following him and if that was the case, that pissed Jonathan off. He narrowed his eyes down while he made the coffee. Mitch had no rights to her now. She left him. She belonged to Jonathan now. She was his, officially now that they had consummated their relationship. If Mitch wanted to fight, Jonathan would fight. Mitch had no idea the things Jonathan could do, and was willingly to do, to protect what was his. Maybe he should pay the ex a visit.

He was still mad when he left the kitchen and made his way to the bedroom. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Who was he to come to Jonathan's house and questioning his brother? Jonathan knew very little about him. He didn't want to ask her anything about Mitch because he didn't like reminding her of the abuser. He frowned and opened his door but the frown didn't last long. He smiled, walked in and slowly shut the door.

" I thought you forgot about me." Elliot said as she laid on in bed, just how he had ordered. Naked and spread eagle.

" How could anyone forget you? I had something to take care of. Shower?" Jonathan asked as his eyes zoned in on her center. There was a hint of pink, buried under her curls and he could see that she was almost glistening, for him.

" Will we be having sex?" She asked.

" Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, totally. I'm not sure how I will ever be able to keep my hands off you after last night. I'm sure we are going to be having a lot of sex from now on." Jonathan said with a grin.

" Art and Maddie are okay?" She asked.

" Yeah, come on. Let's get wet." Jonathan said with a smirk.

_Let me just say, Elliot looks great when she's wet and covered with soap. We cant seem to keep our hands off each other. She teased me, using my soap as a lubricate and jerking me off until I almost came. I went down on her until she was begging for me then I flipped her around and fucked her against the wall. Can I just say I love fucking her? Her body is so tight, it just feels so good that both times we have had sex, it took everything in me to not cum the second I was inside her. _

_After our shower, I thought we'd have breakfast and spend the day together since the bakery was closed. I was hoping to just cuddle on the couch or lay around while Art played with Maddie but that was not in the cards. Almost as soon as we were dressed, I got a phone call from the police. Someone had broken into the bakery, triggering the alarm. So the four of us, me, Elliot, Art and Maddie, piled into my car and left for the shop._

Art was sitting on the pavement of the back parking lot with Madison's leash handle wrapped tight in his hand. Elliot was standing beside him with her arms crossed over her chest. She was watching Jonathan while he talked to an officer at the back door. He was frowning and nodding as he rubbed his chin. She had decided to stand back and let him handle everything. It was his shop, after all, and she was just an employee. After a while, her boyfriend and the officer shook hands and parted ways. Jonathan's hands were in his pockets and a deep frown was over his handsome features.

" Is everything okay? Anything missing or broken?" Elliot asked as soon as Jonathan was close enough to hear her.

" No, everything is fine. The cops thinks whoever broke in left as soon as the alarm went off." He said.

" Do they have any ideas about it or do they think it was random?" She asked.

" Random." Jonathan said. That he didn't believe that, not after what Art had told him. He brought his left hand to his mouth and started to chew his nail while he turned and looked up at the loft. He looked back at Elliot and dropped his hand down. " Spend the night tonight again. I don't want you here tonight by yourself and I can't sleep over." His eyes shifted to Art then back at her.

" Okay. I just need to run up and get some more clothes." She said.

" Shit, I need to call Vicky. I need to see if she can watch Art for a few hours. I have to call a locksmith and have a new lock put on the door since the old one is broke now." Jonathan said. He put one hand on his hip and the other in his hair. He looked back to the door and cursed again. Elliot's hands came to his chest suddenly.

" You don't need to call her. I will grab some clothes then take him to your place. I can watch him." She said. Jonathan sighed and looked down at her. He shook his head, putting both his hands on her hips.

" I can't ask that of you. He's..."

" A lot to deal with, I know, but it is the perfect reason for him and I to spend time together. We will get to know each other." She said quietly.

" I don't know." Jonathan said.

" I want to go home with Elliot and Maddie." Art said. Jonathan looked down at his brother then back at his girlfriend.

" Are you sure?" He asked her, making her smile.


	9. Chapter 9

_* Please Review!*_

_The locksmith came and fixed the lock and it only took a few hours. I decided to head over to Elliot's old place. I wanted to face this guy and tell him to back off. Who was he to come to my house and talk to my brother? I didn't give the police his name because I wanted to handle it on my own. So I sent Elliot a text, just checking on her and Art then headed over to Mitch's._

Jonathan kept his hands in the pockets of his dark green jacket and headed across the porch to the apartment he had moved his girlfriend out of. He had no idea what to expect when he got there. He didn't know what Mitch looked like because Elliot hadn't kept any pictures of him but Jonathan didn't care. He wasn't scared of a man who didn't know how to treat a woman. When he reached the door, he shook his shoulders, reached up and knocked hard on the door. A second later, the door open to a smiling, dark haired man.

" Well hello." He said.

" You Mitch?" Jonathan asked.

He knew it was. The man in front of him had a smug smile on his face as his right arm slid up the door. His hand grasped the top of it. His other hand came to rest on his hip. He was about the same height and build as Jonathan but that was where the similarities ended. Mitch looked completely pressed and put together. Jonathan knew he was bit a on the rugged. His clothes were wrinkled, his jacket over sized, and his hair unruly. Not that that bothered Jonathan. He had Elliot in his bed now, not Mitch.

" Yeah. And you are?" Mitch asked. Jonathan wanted to punch him square in the jaw.

" You know who I am. I want you to stay away from my house, my work, my brother and MY girlfriend. You hear me?" Jonathan snapped.

" Do you now? Had I said that to you, would you have listened? Should I have told you to stay away from my girlfriend?" Mitch asked.

" She didn't leave you for me. She left you because you couldn't keep your fucking hands to yourself. What kind of man hits a woman anyway?" Jonathan spit out.

" Some woman just need to be hit and Elliot's one of them. She can't keep her mouth shut sometimes. Of course, when you want her to open it up, she won't." Mitch stood up straight and laughed at his joke like he thought they were old friends.

" She has no problem opening her mouth for me. She tells me all the time how much better I am in bed than you were." Jonathan snapped. He knew how the comment sounded and he was glad to see Mitch narrow his eyes down.

" She's a fucking whore." The other man said. Jonathan snapped. He rushed forward, grabbing Mitch by his shirt and pushing him against the wall off the left. Mitch jumped, to stunned to react.

" That's my woman you are talking about and she's not a fucking whore. You better watch your mouth when you talk about her or I will knock your teeth out, you hear me? If anything else happens to my shop, if you talk to my brother again or if I see you spying on MY Elliot, your ass is mine!" Jonathan yelled. He pushed against her ex then let him go and stepped back. Jonathan pointed at him. " You fucked up, Man. You fucked up bad when you hit her." He said as he walked backwards out of the apartment. " But hey, it worked out for me, right? Because now, I'm the one who gets to fuck her. She's under me at night, begging for me to give it to her harder and I do. I give it to her just the way she has always wanted it, she said. I protect her now and there isn't anything I won't do for her, remember that."

NRNRNR

Jonathan walked up the sidewalk, leading to his house, with weights in his steps. He knew he needed to get in the house to make sure Art was being nice to Elliot and that she wasn't ready to cut out, but he was still angry. He needed to calm himself down. He didn't want her to know he had went to see her ex. He didn't want her to see him shaking with the anger he was feeling.

When he opened the door, the smell of cookies greeted him right away. Jonathan frowned and turned to shut the door. He could hear cartoons playing as he took off his jacket and hung it up on the hook by his front door, right next to Elliot's. The sounds of nails on the floor brought him around. He smiled as her dog made her way to him.

" Hey there, Maddie, where are they?" He asked as he rubbed her head.

" Art! Stop it!" He heard Elliot call out. He frowned and started hurrying towards the sound. He hit the hallway to hear her start to laugh.

" Elly, no!" Art called out next before he started to laugh. Jonathan appeared in the doorway of his kitchen with his mouth hanging open.

Elliot had swipes of purple and blue paint all over her face and bare arms. Art was equally colored up, with red and black streaks. He was grinning as he tried to paint at her cheek. Both were laughing while she dodged him. She fake fought against him, trying her head from one side to the next, causing him to paint her hair. Jonathan didn't know what to make of the scene.

" Stop!" Elliot said as she laughed.

" You started it!" Art yelled.

" I did not!" She yelled back.

" What are you doing?" Jonathan asked, making them both jump and look up at him.

" It's Elly's fault!" Art said quickly. Her little mouth dropped as she glared at Art.

" You little liar!" She said. Her tone was sharp but Jonathan could see the amusement on her features and in her eyes.

" You said it was fine to paint on each other!" Art defended. She pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. Art mocked her expression then they both looked at Jonathan. " Look at us! Elly taught me how to do duck lips. She said it looks funny when people do it!"

" I see that." Jonathan said as he walked into the kitchen. He placed his hands on the chair by the table and shook his head. " You two are a mess."

" We are but we made you cookies." Elliot said.

" With chocolate chips!" Art explained.

" Thank you. Art, can you do me a favor and go wash your face." Jonathan said.

" Okay." His younger brother said as he stood up. " Come on, Maddie." He said while he walked out of the kitchen.

" You want to tell me why you have paint all over your face and arms?" Jonathan asked her with a grin.

" Well, after we made the cookies, he started to get restless so I thought painting would be fun. We were having fun with it and then he accidentally got paint on his face. When he started to get upset, I painted myself. I told him it was fine and we started a paint fight." Elliot explained.

" I have to say, you look pretty cute right now." He said. She rolled her eyes as she pushed her chair back and stood up.

" Oh yeah, I'm so sure." She said as she laughed.

" You do. But there is something missing." He said. Elliot smiled with her back to him while she went to the sink. She knew the two of them had made a mess so she wanted to wash her hands and arms then clean up the table.

" And what's that?" She asked Jonathan. A second later his hand shot around her face as he wiped a hand full of black paint down her face and neck. She gasped but didn't turn around right away.

" That." Jonathan said. Elliot forced herself to take a deep breath as she slowly turned to face him.

" Are you serious right now?" She asked. Jonathan was grinning while he nodded.

" Yeah, I mean, I like the purple and blue on you but the black looks great as well." He said.

" You are so dead." Elliot snapped as she launched herself to him.

She screamed out to Art as she and Jonathan began a paint battle. Rather than using brushes, they were scooping the paint with their hands and smearing it all over each other while they laughed. Art ran into the kitchen with Maddie on his heels as Jonathan tumbled down the kitchen tile, pulling Elliot with him. They continued their laughing and fighting.

" Help me, Art!" Elliot yelled. She had Jonathan pinned to the floor.

" I'm the one who takes care of you, Art!" Jonathan yelled as he tried to dodge Elliot's paint covered hands.

_I haven't had that much fun in a long time. Ell and I rolled around on my floor, slapping paint on each other. Maddie barked and jumped around, Art cheered us on. Usually I didn't like making messes like that because I always had to clean by myself but I don't know. I couldn't stop laughing. I didn't care about the paint getting on the cabinets or smearing all over the floor. It felt so good to just not worry about things. It was fun. and afterwards, all of us cleaned. Art didn't even complain. _

_Art and Elliot get along great. Right now, I'm laying on the couch, writing, while they sit on the floor, around the coffee table, playing Jenga. Art is leaning against the couch, sitting across from Elliot. I am watching her pretty face while she figures out what piece to try and take. Art adores her and she seems to like him too. She includes him on everything we do. She talks to him and they laugh together. _

" After this game, it's bed time." Jonathan said to Art.

" Okay." Art said without looking away from their game.

Jonathan's eyes drifted to Elliot's. He smiled, making her smile. He closed up his notebook, set it on the floor then folded his hands under his head. He watched with his legs crossed at his ankles while his brother and girlfriend took their turns. None of his exs had ever taken this time with Art, none of them had ever played with him before. A few minutes later, the big Jenga tower tumbled over, making Art and Elliot laugh.

" I won!" Art explained.

" You did." Elliot said with her smile.

" Come on, Maddie! Let's go brush our teeth!" Art jumped up, making the sleeping dog jump. She pulled herself up and followed the excited man out of the room. Elliot started to crawl on the floor, towards him. Jonathan's smile spread into a grin.

" What are you doing?" He asked. She shook her head, reaching up and taking a hold of his ankle. She climbed on the couch, letting her hands travel up his legs while she moved up his body.

" Coming to see you." She whispered.

" Oh yeah?" He asked as he brought his hands down.

" Yeah. What are the chances Art will go bed early tonight?" Elliot asked.

" If you ask him and you let him keep Madison, I think the chances are good." Jonathan muttered with his hands moving into her hair.

He brought his head up, pulled hers down, and kissed her deeply. She spread her legs, letting them come to his sides. Their tongues twisted and untwisted around each other while his hands moved down her to grab at her ass. He pressed her into him then started to grind her against his erection. She moaned and he loved how the vibrations of it passed through his mouth. He rose his hips up and pulled at her harder.

She broke their kissing to suck down his neck. It was Jonathan's turn to moan. He closed his eyes and arched his head back to offer her better access to him. And she took it. She bit down into his pulse, making him tense and squeeze her harder. What was it about her that turned him on so bad? Was it just her and her body? Was how perfectly she fit against him? Was it because he knew how good she felt when she was naked, taking him in deep? Was it because of how she was with Art? He wasn't sure but he thought it was a little of everything.

" I can't wait to get you in bed." Jonathan whispered. She smiled and brought her mouth to his.

" Yeah? You have something in mind you'd like to do?" She whispered.

_For the first time since we started dating, she gave me a blow job after we went bed. I tried to hold it together, I swear I did. I tried to warn her to stop or I was going to cum in her mouth but she kept going. She stroked my balls with one hand and my dick with the other while she sucked me off. I blasted into her mouth like it was my first time. I didn't even know it was coming. I honestly didn't even feel myself getting ready to cum before it hit me. I would have been embarrassed if it hadn't felt so damn good._

_And yeah, I repayed her. And let me say, her orgasms taste good. We played around for a while afterwards, kissing, touching, rubbing together until we were ready again then had sex. Neither one of us seems to be able to get enough of each other. I can't understand why that dickhead hurt her the way that he did. I can't understand why any man would beat on a woman but Elliot. She's so soft, so little and petite. Watching her sleep makes me want to beat Mitch's ass until he can't breath._


	10. Chapter 10

_* Please review! *_

_Elliot and I have been dating for a month and a half now. She spends every night at the house with me except one night a week. She thinks Art and I need some time to ' Just be boys' she calls it. Those nights she goes out with her friends or they come to the loft and sleep over because they get drunk. It makes me feel better that she doesn't sleep there alone. She still doesn't know about Mitch. He hasn't done anything bad after he broke into the shop but I still worry about her. You never know what a man will do when he's crazy. _

_Sometimes, in the mornings, I find that he has left me 'presents'. They are always pictures of Elliot. Some of casual ones I'm sure he took when they were better off. Others, and these ones really piss me off, are pictures he took when she was sleeping and busted up. It's like he's proud of the bruises he gave her. He leaves pictures of her arms with his fingerprints on them, pictures of bruises on her cheeks or neck, her black eye. Pictures of her ribs with brusies or bandages on them. I know what he's doing. He's baiting me and it's taking everything in me to not raise to it. Lucky for him, Elliot has never seen the pictures. I have always managed to snatched them off my car or the door before she knows they are there._

_Her friends have told me a lot about him. They hate him and are so glad she is away from him. They seem to love me though. They haven't come to my house but we have had dinner with them, on the times when Vicky could stay late with Art. I have been at the loft a few times when her girls night have started. They are a funny bunch of girls. They all tell me how good they think I am for Elliot, how much she has changed since being with me and I'm glad. Because I really like her. I think she's an amazing girl._

_And I guess, according to her friends, she really likes me. They say she talks about me all the time. She snaps pictures of me when I'm not paying attention and sends them to her friends, saying how hot she thinks I am or how she likes the way my shirt or jeans fit. They made me swear not to tell her that I know that though. They said she'd kill them for telling me. Makes me grin. What guy doesn't like hearing their girlfriend thinks they're hot? But I'm not going to tell her I know. I don't want to embarrass her._

" Guess what, Baby?" Jonathan muttered into her neck while Elliot counted out the money from their drawer after closing time one night.

" What?" She asked.

" I talked to Vicky and she is going to spend the night with Art tonight." He said. She looked at him quickly.

" Are you serious?" She asked. Jonathan smiled.

" Yeah. You and me, all alone, upstairs, all night." He said.

" Wow. What are we going do?" She teased.

" I'm pretty sure we can figure some things out." He said as he squeezed her and pulled away. " I'm going to run home and grab some things then I'll be back."

" Why don't you take Maddie with you? You and Art have never slept apart from each other so having Maddie there might sooth him." She said, making notes about the money.

" That's a good idea, Baby. You bout done here?" He asked.

" Yep." She stacked the papers together, threw the money in the bank bag and faced him. " Here you go."

" You want me to bring something for dinner so you don't have to cook?" Jonathan asked, taking the bag. Elliot loved cooking and made the three of them dinner every night.

" Sure."

_We never have alone time. It bothers me but never seems to bother Elliot. She dotes on Art. She buys him things, sneaks him candy when they think I don't know, takes him to the comic book store, she just loves him. I have to say, it makes me feel good. I have never had a girlfriend show so much love towards my brother. They all get tired of him. Shit, I know I do. I love him but sometimes I want my own life. Sometimes, I want an entire day and night alone with her. _

_So last night, I dropped Madison off and packed a bag. I grabbed us some soup and sandwiches then sped back to the loft. I really hate leaving her there alone. After we ate, we decided to lay in her bed and watch a movie but that didn't last long. We were having sex a half hour into the movie. I can't help it. We only use her bed for sex. During the day, we sneak away from the bakery when Ron, my other employee, works, to run up to the loft to have sex. At my house, in my bed, we will watch a movie or talk but her bed, in the loft, it's strictly for sex. So can anyone blame me for getting hard the second we climb in it?_

Jonathan and Elliot were laying on their backs, cuddled up in her bed, staring at the ceiling in the darkness. Jonathan's left arm was around her shoulders. She was laying half on the bed, half on his left side with her back against his chest. Her left hand was locked up in his. Her right hand was laying, palm side up. Her small fingers were tugging lightly on his chest hair, combing through it slowly. The knuckles of his right hand were brushing up and down her arm.

" What happen to Art? Was he born that way?" She asked. Jonathan sighed and closed his eyes.

" No." He muttered. He did not want to have this conversation.

" Was he in an accident?" Elliot asked. Jonathan opened his eyes and started to rub his fingers against hers while he continued to stroke her arm with his other hand. He frowned hard. Elliot, as if sensing what he was thinking, said, " How about I tell you something about me then you tell me about Art?"

" What do you want to tell me?" Jonathan asked. He turned his head and kissed the side of hers.

" I know you are wondering about Mitch. I mean, how could you not? So here's what happen. I met him out at a bar with my friends. He asked me out and I said no but he kept sending me drinks so I finally agreed to give him my number." Elliot said.

" Art was in an accident and it was my fault." Jonathan said quietly. Elliot knew this game. She says something about her, he says something about Art. Whatever happen to him upset and bothered Jonathan and she wanted to make it easy for him to talk.

" We were dating six months when he asked me to move in. I sold all my stuff, stupid I know. I worked at a retail store at the time. I started having my checks deposited into his account. He kept telling me the bank was going to send the paper work he needed to add me to his account and I trusted him." Elliot said.

" He was seven at the time, I was nine." Jonathan said.

" The first time he hit me, he promised me it would never happen again. But the fights just got worst and worst. He got me fired because he was coming into my work, screaming and yelling all the time. At home, we started throwing things at each other and physically fighting. He hit me, I defended myself. He threaten my friends so I couldn't go to them. I was stuck. I was embarrassed that I let this happen to me. I was embarrassed that I had become that girl." Elliot said.

" I was mad because Art had broken one of my favorite toys. It was an action figure that I had told him over and over to not touch. I started shaking him, as hard as I could. I forced him to walk backwards while I yelled at him. I didn't even pay attention to how close we were to the basement. He took a step back and there was nothing. He just tumbled down the stairs. When he hit the bottom, he just laid there." Jonathan almost whispered. Elliot closed her eyes at the guilt that was laced in her boyfriend's voice.

" I think Mitch would have killed me had I stayed with him but I didn't know how to leave. I didn't know where to go." She whispered.

" My mom came running into the kitchen. I told her Art slipped. It wasn't hard to believe. He had always been clumsy. He was in a coma for two weeks. He had brain damage. His brain just stopped developing after that. I promised him I would take care of him from the moment on and I have. Our parents were killed in a car accident when I was twenty and he was eighteen. I was living on my own so I moved back into my parent's house. I took over my dad's bakery and have been there ever since." Jonathan said. Elliot turned her head to look at Jonathan but he was still staring at the ceiling.

" It was an accident." She whispered. He brought his right hand up and slipped it under his head.

" I screwed him out of a normal life. I screwed myself out of it. It's completely my fault that he's retarded. It's because of me he'll never have a girlfriend. He'll never be able to live on his own. He'll never drive, never be able to work, nothing. He's stuck. I take care of him because I fucked him over." Jonathan said.

" You take care of him because you love him." Elliot said. She rolled over so she was on her side, facing him. Her fingertips began to trace the tattoo over his heart.

" You know, I have had exs that just didn't get why I couldn't leave him alone for long periods of time. They didn't understand why I couldn't spend the night at their place and hated that we never had privacy at my house. I had some that told me to put him in a home but I just can't do it. He'd hate it. And sometimes I get mad at him. Sometimes I think, if he was normal, things would be different for me. Maybe I'd be married now. Maybe I'd have a different job, live out of state." He sighed and shook his head. " It's my fault and I don't have the right to be mad at him but it's hard to remember that when every girl I have been with has left me because of him." Jonathan said.

" Well I, for one, am very glad you aren't married and live out of state." Her words brought a smile to Jonathan's face but he still didn't look at her. " And those women are stupid. Of course you can't put him in a home. You can't take him away from everything he knows and loves. And you can take comfort in knowing this girl won't leave you because of him." That made him look at her. He rolled over so they were facing each other. He let his left elbow come to rest against the bed while he propped his head up on his hand. He put his other hand against her lower back and pulled her into him. Then he moved it up her and tangled his fingers into her hair.

" Yeah?" He asked.

" Yeah." She said. " So how about you stop blaming yourself for what a nine year old did and start seeing yourself as I do?"

" And how's that? How do you see me?" Jonathan asked.

" As a man who is dictated enough to his brother that he does everything he can to care for him. A man who is strong, loving, and caring. A man who has stood up and accepted his responsibilities when he could have easily turned and ran. Putting Art in a home would be the easy thing to do but you choose to take the harder road and you are better for it." Elliot said. Jonathan smiled as he stared into her eyes.

" Why don't we make each other a deal? I will try and see myself like that and you stop thinking you are weak and pathetic. You will see you as I do. Strong, beautiful, and amazing." He said. Elliot smiled and buried half her face in the pillow. He grinned and leaned down to kiss her cheek. " We got a deal?"

" I guess." She said.

_It felt good to tell Elliot what happen between Art and me. I never to anyone. Shit I barely admitted it to myself. I have carried the guilt from that night around since it happen. After we talked, I felt so light. I hadn't realized how much that night weighted me down. I always thought if I told someone, they would hate me, they would think I was horrible but Elliot didn't look at me any different than she did before. _

_We stayed up late that night, just talking and sharing stories about our past. She talked about her childhood and so did I. She told me about the different jobs she had held, I told her about growing up in the bakery. We just talked like we never had before. It was great. I have never done that before with anyone. Afterwards, she cuddled up into me and we went to sleep. If she keeps being this amazing, I'm going to fall in love with her. _


	11. Chapter 11

* _Please Review! So I'm sorry if this is coming off slow, I just wanted to really develop their relationship but it is going to pick up. About the windows and shades, my bedroom is at the front of the house and our house sits back from the road. There are some trees in our front yard. You really have to come up to the house to see into my bedroom, it's not like I'm running around naked, lol! I hope I didn't freak anyone out with that!*_

_Vicky spends the night with Art one night every other week. On those nights, Elliot and I go out to eat then lock ourselves up in the loft. Three months we have been together and it has been great. We work well together. The bakery has gotten so busy that I hired two new people. The interviewing process was pretty funny. Elliot and I had gone through the applications together and picked out the ones we liked. I interviewed a couple of girls, with my girlfriend glaring in the background. I wanted to laugh every time. It was funny to see her jealous. Then she demanded to do her own interviews, which I let her because I trust her judgment. That didn't last long. She only interviewed guys and I was the one getting jealous and taking over. In the end, we hired a girl who was the completely opposite of Elliot and not someone I would want to date and a gay guy._

_For our nights alone, I bought a camera, a video camera. I snapped a bunch of pictures of us and set the video camera up at the end of the bed while she smiled and waited. We promised each other we would never share it with one else. We promised that if something happen between us, like we broke up, we would burn it. So I set it, made sure the lens could get everything, then I hopped in bed with her. She giggled while I gave her neck and face the loudest kisses I could. For the first time in my life, I filmed myself having sex. We laid sideways on the bed so the camera pick everything up. It took a while because we were both nervous. We kissed, we touched, finally, we forgot about it and just fell into each other._

_Sometimes we watch it together, having sex while it's on or just playing with each other. Sometimes...scratch that. Once a week, on the nights she doesn't sleep at my house, I put it on in my bedroom and jerk off. How the hell can I not? Her pleasure is written all over her face and it turns me on to know I'm the one making her feel that way. And when she gets off, her little mouth opens and she moans so loud that I cum the second she does in the video, every time I watch it. It's one thing to be in the moment, having her orgasm in the moment when I'm inside her, it's another one to watch it on our film. It's amazing, so hot and sexy._

" I'm going to run to the bank." Elliot said as she ran her hand through Jonathan's hair while he made the coffee in the bakery. She twirled her fingers around in the soft strands and smiled to herself.

" Okay." He turned his head and they kissed quickly. She dropped her hand to his back and started to rub it.

" Do you need anything?"

" Just for you to hurry up and get back." Jonathan said, making her smile.

" Alright, I'll be back." Elliot said as she pulled away.

Jonathan finished the coffee then turned to wipe down the counter as he listened to the back door open then shut. He was completely relaxed and feeling good. He had spent the night with Elliot in the loft with the two of them making another film. As it turns out, they both really liked filming their sex. That night, he had sat on the end of the bed with her over his lap. She had held his knees while she rode him hard. That morning, they had a quick, good morning sex then came down into the bakery to getting it ready for the day. Yeah, he was relaxed.

" Jonathan!" Elliot's panicked voice made him spin around and take off for her.

" What's wrong!" He asked as he hit the back.

" Someone trashed my car." She said from her spot at the back door.

" What!" Jonathan yelled while he hurried towards her.

" My tires has been slashed and my window shield has been shattered." Elliot said.

" Shit." Jonathan snapped. " Call the police. Stay in here while I go look at it."

_I couldn't prove it but I knew Mitch had done it. I didn't tell the police that because it would be his word against mine plus, I planned on paying him a visit after work. I have been putting up with his stupid presents, burning the pictures when he left them, but this was going too far. He touched her stuff. He needed to know that I wasn't going to sit back anymore. Elliot was scared, I was pissed to see her like that. While the police talked to her, I kept my arm around her and made mental plans. As the cops took pictures of her car and checked it over, I pulled her into my chest. She put her arms around me and sighed. I kissed her forehead and promised to have camera's put in around the bakery. We would catch him in the act the next time he came around. _

_After work, I dropped her off at my house with Art and Maddie. I told her I was going to get cameras for the shop. But I went to Mitch's._

" Open up, Asshole!" Jonathan yelled as he banged on Mitch's door. " Now!"

A second later the door open. Jonathan didn't waste anytime. He hauled off and punched Mitch straight in the mouth, knocking the man backwards. Jonathan stepped into the apartment and kicked the door shut. Mitch was crab walking backwards and smiling. Red burst through Jonathan's vision while his blood started to boil. He leaned down, grabbed Mitch's shirt and punched him again. Jonathan's knuckles split on impact but that didn't stop him.

" You think that's funny, Motherfucker!" Jonathan yelled as he punched Mitch again. " Let me see you laughing now!" Sweat started to coat Jonathan's hairline while his fist made contact with the side of Mitch's face, over and over again. " You think you can trash my girlfriend's car and get away with it! Fuck you!" His voice cracked as he yelled.

NRNRNR

" Do you want to order pizza, Art? I think Jay's gonna be awhile." Elliot said as she walked into the living room.

" Can we have mushrooms on it?" Art asked as he rubbed Maddie's belly and watched TV.

" We can have whatever you want, Sweetheart." Elliot said. Art looked at her and grinned.

" I love you." He said. She smiled despite feeling horrible and being upset.

" I love you, too." She said.

" Will you stay with us forever? Will you let Jonathan keep you?" He asked with hope shining through his eyes. Elliot bit down into her bottom lip to try and not grin then slowly released it.

" You think he wants too?" She asked.

" I know he does. He loves you too." Art said before turning back to the TV.

" Did he tell you that?" She asked quietly.

" Yep. When you were with your friends the other night, I asked him if we could keep you forever. He asked me if I wanted too and I told him yes, cause I love you. Then he said he loves you too." Art said. Elliot's heart jumped into her throat. She couldn't stop the grin that time. She wanted to laugh and couldn't wait to see him again.

Art and Elliot had eaten dinner and had Jonathan's set aside in the kitchen. Now they were watching TV, just waiting for him to come home. Art was on the floor, in his usual spot, leaning against the couch. Elliot was curled up under one of Jonathan's blankets. She was sitting sideways so she could watch TV or look out the window. She had texted Jonathan a few times, asking him where he was. It had taken him a while but when he finally answered her, he had said he was on his way home. A few minutes later, his car pulled into the driveway, making her jump off his couch.

" Jonathan's home! I will be right back." Elliot said. She walked through the house as Jonathan walked up the driveway. She opened the front door as he reached it. " Hey," her voice trailed off as her eyes traveled down to the knuckles on his right hand. They were swollen and red with dried blood caked all over his hand. " Jay, what happen?"

" I don't want to talk about it." He muttered, pushing his way into the house. Elliot closed the door then followed him as he hurried through the house. " Art?" He called out.

" I'm watching TV." The man child called.

" You been good?" Jonathan asked, walking down the hallway and towards his room with Elliot hot on his trail.

" Yes." Art called.

" Jay." Elliot said.

" Not right now, Elliot." He said. He pushed open the door to his room and turned left, going right into his bathroom and turning on the water.

" Don't not right now me." She said. She appeared at the doorway, frowning at him while he doused his hand under the cold water. The sting of the cuts shot up his arm as the blood on his skin started to wash away. " What happen to your hand?"

" It was nothing." Jonathan muttered. He brought his left hand to the water and carefully started to wash himself, trying the best he could to avoid the spilt skin. Elliot shook her head and came forward. Jonathan glanced at her as she reached out for him.

" I don't like secrets." She said quietly. Her small hands come over his. Gently she started to wash away his blood, moving carefully around his open wounds. " I don't like things being kept from me. Do you know why?" He watched her face while she watched their hands. Her fingers pressed into his, cleaning him in strong, sure strokes.

" Why?" He asked.

" Because it feels like you are lying to me, like you are hiding something from me and I do not like that. You want me to view myself as you do, as someone who is strong, then treat me like that. Don't hide things from me because you think I can't handle them. That doesn't paint me as a strong person. It doesn't make me think you look at me like I'm strong. It makes me think you think I'm weak and I'm not." She looked up at the mirror and stared hard at his reflection. He sighed and turned his head to meet her stare. Her eyes were hard and her face was full of determination. " So, what happen?"

" I went to your old apartment tonight. I beat Mitch's ass. Laid him out flat." Jonathan said.

" Why?" She asked.

" Because I don't like him, Elliot. Because I don't like the way he treated you. Because he's been leaving things for me and I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped." He said as her hands stilled and she frowned.

" He's been leaving things?" She asked.

" Yeah. Nothing bad. Just pictures." He said. Her chin came up and her eyes almost narrowed.

" Of what?" She asked with her voice low. Jonathan cleared his throat. He didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to upset her. " Of what?" She asked again when he didn't say anything.

" Of you. Of your bruises." He answered. She was staring hard and breathing even harder. Her hands tighten on his, causing another round of pain to shoot through him but he didn't make a sound or move.

" How long has he been leaving them for you?" She asked.

" Almost our entire relationship, almost all five months now." Jonathan admitted.

" Where are they?" She almost whispered.

" I burned them." Jonathan said.

" But you looked at them. And you hid them from me." Elliot said.

" I did. I thought if you saw them, they would upset you. I was trying to protecting you." Jonathan said. It was her turn to sigh. She looked away, biting into her bottom lip. She shook her head as her hands slipped from his.

" I promised to read Art a bedtime story." She said.

" Elliot," Jonathan said as she walked out. It was his turn to shake his head. He looked back down at his hands. "Fuck." He said quietly.

_After I bandaged up my hand, I went to Art's room. I listened outside the doorway while Elliot read him a story about dinosaurs. I couldn't tell if she was mad at me or upset about everything. I waited outside Art's room, listen to her voice as she went over the words. I leaned against the wall and stared straight ahead. She was so gentle and lovingly with him. She even told him that she loved him and I heard her kiss him. It just warmed me. He whispered that he loved her then to Madison the same. A second later, Elliot came out of the room and closed his door._

_We went to bed with her on one side and me on the other. I put my hands behind my head, looking from her to the ceiling. She was on her side, not facing me. I didn't know what to say. Our first fight. It felt horrible and I wanted to make things right but I didn't know how. Maybe I shouldn't have went after Mitch but I couldn't control myself. He was going after my woman. What kind of man would I be if I didn't protect her?_

" I don't want you to see me like that. It's bad enough you saw it when I started coming into the bakery. I don't want you to see me beat up. I don't want you to see me as that weak person." Elliot's voice flowed over him in the darkness.

_I just went to her. I took a hold of her arm and made her turn to her back. She had been crying. I ran my hand through her hair then wiped all the tears away. I promised her that I didn't see her as weak because I didn't, I don't. She turned towards me as I gathered her up. We smashed together and hugged each other tightly. We laid together, just like that, with our legs mixed together, our bodies tight for a long time. I played with her hair, she rubbed my back. We were quiet until she whispered out to me that she was glad I had went after Mitch._


	12. Chapter 12

* _Please Review!*_

_In the morning, when we got to work, I saw something was taped to the door. I looked at her but she was looking for something in her bag. I wanted to run out and grab it but we decided that I wouldn't hide things from her. So I reached out and took a hold of her wrist. She looked at me and smiled until I motioned to the door. She looked at it and frowned._

_It was a tape. I took it down from the door while Elliot unlocked it. We didn't talk, both nervous about what it was. We took hands and headed right up to the loft. Since we weren't sure what was on it and Anna, our new employee, was due in soon, we decided to watch it in private. I put it in the TV then sat down beside her. I put my arms around her, she cuddled up into me._

_The video was of me kicking Mitch's ass. And suddenly the beating made sense to me. He hadn't tried to defend himself. He hadn't tried to hit me back but at the time, I had been so pissed I hadn't noticed. When I was laying in bed with Elliot, afterwards, it hit me that he hadn't fought back but I thought it was just because I had stunned him. Now I know why he didn't. He was sending me a message. I piss him off ago, he will go to the police with the tape. I would be charged with assault, go to jail and Art would be taken away from me. The state would come in and yank him out of my care. Mitch had me by my balls._

" Don't worry, Jay." Elliot said as her hands swept over his hair.

She stood up and came to stand in front of him. Jonathan closed his eyes and took a hold of her hips. He pulled her into him and nestled into her stomach. Elliot continued to run her hands through his hair. His arms circled her waist as she repeated over and over again for him not to worry about a thing. She dipped down and pressed her lips against the top of his head.

_NRNRNR_

" Guess what, insurance company called me. They sent the garage the check to replace my windshield so it will be done by the end of the week." Elliot said as she pulled herself up and on the counter.

" Good." Jonathan said with a smile. Of course he was smiling. It was so easy to smile at her. He leaned against the counter, directly across from her. He was holding a cup of coffee up to his chest and had his long legs crossed at his ankles. " You will feel better, won't you?" He asked.

" Yes. I hate not having a car." Elliot said.

" You're so cute. You just love that car so much, don't you?" Jonathan asked. His smile was spreading into a grin.

" I do love it." She said, hopping down to the floor.

She reached out and grabbed his shirt. Jonathan set his cup down and let her pull him towards her. His hand went right up and into her hair as his lips claimed her. Her hands slipped under his shirt while their tongues danced together. She scratched against his bare chest while their tongues played and their breath mingled. He used his other hand to pull her completely against him.

" As much as I love watching you two make out," Ron's voice came over them as he walked up from the back. Jonathan pulled back so they could look at him. " I think I need to go home. I feel like shit and I think I'm getting a fever." Elliot's hands came to his back as she nestled her face into Jonathan's chest.

" That sucks, Dude. Go home then, get some rest." Jonathan said.

" You sure?" Ron asked.

" Yeah, it's Tuesday. Tuesday are our slow days. Besides, Anna's coming here. We don't need all four of us here today." Jonathan said. His arms came up and around Elliot's shoulders were he squeezed.

" Alright, thanks. I will catch up with you guys later." Ron said as he started towards the back.

" Feel better!" Elliot called out. The couple looked at each other with smiles.

" I need to run to the bank." He tucked some hair behind her ear. " Lock the back door behind me and keep your phone on."

" I need to be honest about something." Elliot said, suddenly.

" And what's that?" Jonathan asked.

" Watching you beat Mitch up really turned me on." She said. And just like that, she reached into his pants and let her hand circle him. Jonathan dropped his hands to her ass and squeezed her as he brought her into him. He groaned as he started to harden while she stroked him.

" Yeah?" He asked. She smiled then as slowly as she could, she traced his lips with the tip of her tongue.

" Yeah. It's kind of hot to see you kick ass for me." Jonathan grinned while he lowered his head down.

" Any time, Babe. I would always fight for you." He whispered before he kissed her pulse. Elliot sighed weakly then pulled out of his pants. He whined without moving away from her neck. Elliot moaned and pushed as his shoulders.

" You need to go. There is no way we can sneak off for sex so I need space from you." She said. Jonathan laughed but pulled away from her.

" Yeah, I think I need space too." He said as he cupped himself to fix his boxers.

_I knew I was all smiles while I drove to the bank. I didn't care about the video tape. I didn't care about her car or the pictures or even Mitch talking to Art. All I cared about her and being with her. I finally had a girlfriend who accepted every part of my life, who didn't get jealous over my brother and made me feel great about myself. And have I mentioned how hot she is? I love her, so much it's not even funny. I would risk everything for her._

" Babe, I'm back!" Jonathan called out as he walked into the back of the bakery. He went into his office and stashed the money in the safe. " Baby!" He called, shrugging out his jacket. His eyebrows drew together with a small frown. She hadn't answered him and he didn't hear any voices from the front of the shop so he didn't think she was waiting on anyone. " Elliot?" He called while he made his way towards the shop. Laying on the ground, right behind the counter, was Elliot, his Elliot. " Elliot!" Jonathan yelled as he rushed forward.

" Jonathan? Elliot?" Anna called out from the back as she walked in.

" Anna! Call 911!" Jonathan yelled as he sank down beside Elliot's head.

" What's wrong?" He heard her ask.

" Elliot, open your eyes, please." Jonathan said while he took a hold of her head. He lifted it slightly, feeling around for any blood and not finding any.

" Oh my gosh!" Anna said as she quickly pulled out her phone.

" Elliot, can you hear me?" Jonathan asked softly.

" We need help!" Anna said into her phone. " Yeah, I'm at Jonathan's Bakery on 9th and Rocket St. We found the owner's girlfriend on the floor."

_The police came with me to the hospital. I rode in the back of the cop car while we sped through the city, following the ambulance. I was giving my statement but I didn't have anything to say. I found her on the floor. My stomach was in knots and I felt like throwing up. I was torn. I knew who attacked her but I couldn't tell them that. If I told on him, he would tell on me. I would go to jail and Elliot would be unprotected._

_By the time we got to the hospital, Elliot was awake and in a panic. She was confused and in pain. I hurried to her side. When the nurses and doctors tried to tell me I couldn't be with her unless I was family, she yelled out that I was her husband. I don't know if they believed us or not, but they left us alone. I held her hand while they checked her over. They asked questions, they looked at her head, they gave her a scan to make sure her brain wasn't bleeding. _

" So let me just go over your statement again, Mrs. Casey, you had your back to the front door when it opened. You turned around as a mask man rushed you with a bat. He hit you and you don't remember anything else, is that right?" Officer Campbell asked. Jonathan looked up at her from his seat at her right. He was gripping her hand and rubbing her fingers.

" Right." She said.

" And you can't tell me anything about him?" Campbell asked.

" No. He was running towards me and it all happen so fast." She said quietly.

" Okay. Well I want you both to think. Is there someone out there who might have something against either of you? An employee you fired or something?" Campbell asked.

" Can we think about that and get back to you?" Jonathan asked.

" Sure. Here is my card. Give me a call if anything comes up." Campbell said as he handed over a card to Jonathan.

" We will, thank you." Jonathan said, taking the card. He tilted to the side, slipped the card into his back pocket then turned his full attention to Elliot. " Are you okay?" He asked as soon as they were alone. She slumped back into the bed and closed her eyes.

" My fucking head is killing me." She moaned softly.

" Did you really not see who it was?" Jonathan asked as he leaned into the bed. She shook her head, turned it towards him and looked at him.

" No but I know it was him." She said.

" I'm going to fucking kill him." Jonathan said with his jaw tense and his voice low. " What is with this guy? One ass beating isn't enough for him?"

" Did you tell Art you love me?" She asked.

_Her question shocked and embarrassed me. I knew I shouldn't have trusted Art. I knew he would rat me out. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell her just yet when I said it to Art. I wanted to make sure she felt the same first. I wanted the moment to be perfect. But now I had to tell her because if I said no, it would be lying and I promised to not lie to her. Yeah, it wasn't what I planned but I had no choice._

Jonathan dropped his eyes to their hands, making Elliot hold her breath. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up. She hadn't meant too. It had just slipped out without her thinking. He smiled and brought his other hand to the bed. He cleared his throat while he blushed. Hope swelled through her. Did he? Was it possible?

" I...ah..." He cleared his throat, again, and laughed nervously. He started to pull at the threads on the hospital blanket before looking up at her. " Yeah, I did." He looked back at the bed. " I sure did and he promised me he wouldn't tell you."

" Why did you make him promise that?" Elliot asked. Jonathan looked back at her, his bright blue eyes meeting her slightly darker ones.

" Because I wanted..."

" Okay, Elliot, " Doctor Skylan interrupted as he came into her room. " you do have a concussion, which is really just a crack in your skull. Lucky, it's small and your brain doesn't seem to be suffering from the hit. Neurologically speaking, you are fine but the first 24 - 48 hours, you need to be careful. We find that if you are going to experience any brain damage or bleeding, it will be within those hours. You can stay here but it's not needed. Your husband can watch over you."

" What should we look for?" Jonathan asked.

_Vomiting, dizziness, a headache that wouldn't go away and only got worst, that is what I have to watch for. Plus, if she falls asleep, I have to make sure I wake her every two hours, even tonight. So after she was released to my custody, I closed the bakery for the day and brought her home. Right now, she is cuddled up on my couch with one of my blankets over her. I'm on the floor, watching Art as he takes care of her. He brings her drinks and snacks, reminding her over and over again that the doctor said to sip things, just in case she did start to throw up. He fixes her blanket and kisses her forehead every time he brings her something._

" What are you always writing about?" Elliot asked. Jonathan smiled, finished something up, then shut the notebook up and set it on the coffee table.

" I write about everything." He said as he turned. His left hand slipped under the blankets and came to her leg. " After my parents died, Art's doctor told me I was going to have to be really strict with making a schedule for Art. He said our parents death was a huge set back for my brother." His warm hand traveled up her leg and didn't stop until he reached her knee. He started to stroke her bare skin. " So I started writing at the end of our days, recording everything we did and at what time we did it. Things like eating, brushing his teeth, nothing was too small to be written down. I wrote it all down until I had it memorize. After that, I just continued to write."

" So what do you write about now?" She asked. The back his knuckles brushed against her inner thigh.

" Everything. Art still, the bakery, you, what I want for us." He answered honestly.

" And what do you want for us?" Elliot asked. His fingertips tugged on the edge of her shorts, making her shake her head. " You better not. You better just keep that hand right where it is. There is no way Art is going to let you take me in your room and you aren't going to get me all turned on right now then make me wait until tonight." Jonathan smiled and let his hand come to rest against her thigh. He leaned forward and kissed her leg through the blankets.

" What do I want for us? A future. I want you here with me and Art, living here. I want to share the bakery with you. I want to know you're in this for the long haul because I am. I want you in my bed and my life. I want you to want the same. I love you. Every day more and more." He said as he rubbed his cheek against the blanket. She sighed and smiled.

" I do want the same. All of it. I love Art." Her face broke out into a bigger smiler, " and I love you." Jonathan grinned and sat up straight. He moved up the couch and wrapped a hand around her neck. He gently pressed his lips to hers.

" Does this mean we get to keep Elliot?" Art asked when he walked back into the living room from the kitchen. Jonathan and Elliot smiled against each other. She was holding onto his shirt and both kept their eyes shut.

" Yeah, I think we get to keep her." Jonathan said.


	13. Chapter 13

_* Please Review! And I'm so sorry for this, guys. I really am. I hope you aren't mad at me. *_

" Jonathan." Art whispered as he shook his brother by his shoulder. Jonathan growled and frowned without opening his eyes. " Jonathan." Art repeated.

" What?" Jonathan snapped as he opened his eyes. " Hey, what are you doing in here?" He held the sheet against him as he turned from his stomach to his back. He looked over to Elliot, finding her on her stomach with the sheet pooled at her waist. Her smooth back completely bare to his brother.

" Why doesn't Elly have a shirt on? Did she get hot? Does she have a fever?" Art asked. Jonathan yanked the blanket up, making sure she was completely covered up before he looked back to his brother.

" Art, it's midnight. What are you doing in here?" He whispered after he ran his hand over his face. Art tugged on the new ball cap Elliot had bought him to say thank you for caring for her over the last few days, nursing her through her concussion. She hadn't needed all the care Art had given her but it made him happy so she did it.

" I did something bad." He said.

" What? Did you pee the bed?" Jonathan whispered.

" No. I went outside for a walk." Jonathan sighed and shook his head.

" You know better than to go out by yourself and you don't go out at night." Jonathan whispered.

" I did something else bad." Jonathan closed his eyes and shook his head.

" What now?" He asked.

" Well one time, Elliot showed me where she used to live, and I know you think the guy that lives there hit her on the head so I went there." Jonathan's eyes flew open.

" What!" He hissed.

" Jay?" Elliot whispered, turning her head towards her boys. Jonathan shook his head at his brother.

" Go into the living room." He said, before looking back at his girlfriend.

" Is Art in here?" She whispered without opening her eyes. Jonathan waved his hand towards Art who started out of the room.

" Yeah, he had a nightmare. Just go back to sleep, okay? I'm going to go tuck him back in." Jonathan said, dropping a kiss onto her back.

She sighed and turned away from him again. Jonathan slipped from the bed and hurried to his dresser. He opened the drawer quietly as he could and yanked out the pajama pants he no longer had to wear. Even if he did put them off, as soon as they hit the bed, Elliot was pulling them down his hips and taking his cock in her hands, her mouth, or her body. The thought made him grin and best friend jerk awake. He palmed himself through his boxers to readjust the hard length.

' Maybe when we get back, Buddy. Maybe I'll wake her up for some middle of the night play.'

He could and she would. A few well placed touches, kisses, or sucks against his favorite parts of her body and she would be up and wet for him. It wouldn't be the first time he had woken her up with his tongue. Running his hand through his hair, he walked out of his room, closing the door behind him. He trekked down the hallway, finding his brother and Madison sitting on the couch. Jonathan frowned as Art's words came back over him.

" What do you mean, you went there?" He asked.

" Well, I been hearing you guys talking. He destroyed our Elly's car, right? He hit her in the head, right? That's what you guys said." Art said.

" Yeah but what does that have to do with you?" Jonathan said.

" She's mine too, you know. You aren't the only one who wants to protect her. You aren't the only one who loves her. She takes care of me, Jonathan. I wanted to take care of her." Art said.

" Spit it out. What did you do?" Jonathan asked, feeling himself growing more and more impatient.

" I went out and to the bus stop. I took it to her old place. I went to see him. I wanted to tell him to leave our Elly alone but something happen." Art said quietly.

" What happen?" Jonathan said as he gritted his teeth together.

" I think I killed him." Art said as he stared at the ground.

" What was that?" Jonathan asked as he tilted his head to the side.

" I hit him, a lot and then he stopped moving." Jonathan's mouth went completely dry. His stomach dropped out of his body. He felt himself grow pale even though he started to sweat.

" This isn't funny." Jonathan said.

" I didn't mean to kill him." Art said as his eyes filled up with tears.

" Get your jacket. Wait for me outside." Jonathan almost growled. He spun around and hurried to his room to get dressed.

_I didn't know what to expect when we got to Mitch's place. My heart was beating so hard it was hurting. I felt like I couldn't breath. Art tried to talk to me but I snapped at him and told him to shut up. If he did kill her ex...I didn't know what I was going to do. How could I protect him from that? I couldn't. They would take him and throw him in jail. There was no way Art could make it in jail. He would be killed._

_Mitch's door was hanging open when we got there and I could tell there had been a fight. There was a pool of blood on the kitchen tile but Mitch was gone. His place was trashed but he was just gone. Art swore up and down that he hadn't destroyed anything and I believe him. We wiped down everything Art had touched and left. There was nothing we could do. Maybe he was at the hospital. Maybe someone heard the fight and called 911. I don't know. All we can do is wait and see what happen. Either he showed up or the police did._

Jonathan stripped down to his boxers then climbed into bed with his tiny girlfriend. He stared at her form as he slipped over to her. He laid down, against her back, slipping his arm around her waist. He nestled into her hair with fear coursing through him. What would he do if the police showed up? When would Mitch show up? There was no doubt in his mind the man would come for either Elliot or Art after this. What should he tell Elliot? Should he? He know they were not supposed to keep secrets from each other but this...

" Jay?" She whispered as she reached behind her and grabbed his boxers. She frowned with her eyes shut. " Why are you dressed?"

" I had to tuck Art in, remember?" He whispered into her hair. She hadn't woken up while they were gone, thankfully. She moaned and it was sleep laced and husky. Despite what had happen, he flared to life at the sound.

" Take them off." She moaned as she rubbed her bare, prefect ass against his crotch. Jonathan bit into his bottom lip and tried not to groan.

" If I take them off, I'm going to want you." He whispered.

" Feels like you want me already. Take them off and gave me an orgasm." Jonathan chuckled.

" How can I deny you?" He asked.

_Two days later the police showed up at the shop. My heart was in my throat. I straighten the counter while they got out of the car. This was it. Art was going to jail. I was going to be arrested for cleaning off his fingerprints. Everything was going to fall apart for me. Elliot would leave me for keeping things from her. Elliot saw them too and came right over to me. She took a hold of my shirt and together, we watched as they walked in. _

_They asked to see Elliot in the back but she wanted to talk in front of me. The four of us went into my office, letting Anna and Ron watch the bakery. I was beyond nervous and hoping that I wouldn't start to sweat. I kept a hold of her hand, just needing to feel her skin. I should have told her about what Art had done. I should but I haven't. _

_Someone had reported Mitch missing. The police went to his apartment, taking pictures of the blood they found, but no one knew if Mitch was hurt, had been kidnapped, killed or disappeared on his own. All they wanted to know was if Elliot had seen him or heard from him. She told them no and they asked her to call if she did. They shook her hand and shook mine and that was it. it was over._

" Do you think he took off?" Elliot asked while we watched the cop car pull away.

" I don't know." Jonathan said while he wiped down the counter. He kept his head down but was glancing up at the door.

" Is it bad that I'm glad he's not around?"

" No." Jonathan said. Elliot sighed beside him before turned and kissing his arm.

" I'm going to check on the cupcakes." She patted his back and walked to the back.

_A week has gone by and there has been nothing. Everything is just blissfully silent for us. Elliot is moving in today, coming to live with me and Art. Art is beside himself with excitement. He asked Elliot if he could take over Maddie's care, walking her and taking her outside. I wasn't to sure about it because he has never had any responsibilities for himself before but Elliot said yes. She's even going to pay him a dollar for every walk he takes the dog on and every time he takes her outside. She convinced me that it would be good for him._

" And it will be." Elliot whispered as she kissed Jonathan's temple. He smiled from his spot at his dining room table. " Coffee?"

" Yeah, thanks." He said, going back to his writing.

_She doesn't have a lot to move, just the stuff she brought from the dickhead's place and a few things she has bought along the way. I'm not putting her on my bank account and I'm not going on hers. We didn't even talk about it. I know what happen with her and dickhead so I'm not even going to talk about it with her. I wouldn't mind sharing the account with her but I know the idea worries her so I'm not saying anything about it._

Elliot loaded up her car with the last of her stuff while Jonathan locked up the bakery. It was Sunday and the shop was closed. They were both excited to get back to his house. He faced her with a grin. Elliot laughed and took off for him. Jonathan met her in the middle of the parking lot and scooped her hard fast. They were both laughing as her legs went around his waist and her arms around his neck.

" I love you!" She explained.

" I love you too." He said before he kissed her hard. He groaned, she moaned, and lust flared up between them right away. Heat bloom around them.

" We better go. Art's waiting." She said.

" I think we should head upstairs real fast. The bed is still there." He whispered. And he didn't give her a second to think. He spun around and started back towards the bakery with her laughing. He shifted her o his left hip, holding her there like she was child so he could dig out his key.

" We are going to have to be fast, you know." She said

" Oh yeah, it's going to be fast. I can feel it." He said.

Jonathan threw open the door and hurried in, kicking the door shut and making her laugh. He switched her to his back and took off running up the stairs to the loft. He pushed the door open, hurried over to the bed and dropped her down on it. As he ran back to the door to shut it, she started to pull off her shoes. This would not be a time to be naked and they both knew. Her pants off, his open.

Jonathan yanked his jacket off as he made his way towards her. His breath was already sawing out of his chest. His cheeks were flushed with excitement and she was sure she matched the redness. Her hands were shaking as she undid her pants. He was grinned, coming to stand at the end of the bed. She laughed, pushing her pants and panties down. His eyes went to her center and the smile faded. His tongue darted out and over his bottom lip, while he pulled himself out of his boxers. He was beautifully hard, straining and reaching out for her.

" Seems like you have something you'd like help with." Elliot whispered.

" Oh yeah? Seems like you got some wetness you'd like help with." Jonathan said. She laid back and spread her legs.

" I would like help." Elliot said.

" Oh really? Then let me get to work." Jonathan said as he laid over her, placing his left forearm came to rest by her head while he grabbed at himself. " Foreplay?"

" No." She breathed out with her eyes shut. " Come on."

She lifted her hips, he grinned and thrust forward. The second they were joined, Jonathan's eyes snapped shut and he groaned. Her hands came to his hips and she moaned loudly. He brought his both hands to the sides of her head and pressed his forehead against hers. He withdrew, wanting to go slow so make the pleasure last but knew he couldn't. Art was alone and they needed to get back to him. Besides that, Jonathan knew they could make up for the fast fuck that night.

" Jay, please. I don't want it slow." She begged. " Harder."

He moaned, slamming into her as hard as he could. Over and over again. He rocked her body up and down. Her hands squeezed his boxers. Their breath tangled in short, hard burst. She cried out, he started to sweat. His muscles bunched, her inner walls tighten. His blood heated to an unbelievable temperature. She whimpered and it was his turn to call out. She burst apart in a hard, fast orgasm that yanked his out.

NRNRNR

Elliot opened the trunk of her car and grabbed out one of her boxes. Jonathan had run to the store to grab a few things and won't be home for a few more minutes. She sighed as she started towards the house. She was fresh from her good afternoon orgasm and riding the high from it while she opened the door. She smiled and called out for Art and Maddie.

" Art! Come on! We can't play hide and seek right now. Help me with these boxes then I promise we can do the game!" She called out, setting her box on the floor in the hallway. " Art!" With a frown she started towards his room. " Madison?" She pushed open the door.

The first thing Jonathan heard was he stepped out of his car was Elliot screaming. Leaving his car door open, he took off running for the house. He was calling and yelling for her but she was continued to scream. He ran through the house and towards Art's room. He found Elliot there, holding Art in her arms, screaming and crying. Her beloved dog was on his brother's bed, split open from her neck to her tail. Art was covered in blood with stab wounds litter all over his chest, neck, and face. Jonathan stumbled back and fell straight to his ass. His hands came up to sides of the hallway as his mind struggled to process the scene in front of him.


	14. Chapter 14

_* Please Review! I'm sorry that I hurt everyone! I was hard for me too.*_

With their arms wrapped up tightly against each other and their bodies smashed together, they watched the police move in and out of Jonathan's house. Silent tears were making their way down Elliot's cheeks. Jonathan's own eyes were red rimmed but he refused to cry openly. If Mitch was watching, he didn't want that bastard to see him so upset. He knew Mitch had killed his brother and their dog. The TV in the living room had been playing a video of Jonathan beating him. The small TV in Art's room played Art beating him. Jonathan had grabbed the videos and they were being hidden in his car. He was not getting in trouble for it and would not let his brother's name be dragged through the mud.

" How could he do this?" Elliot whispered. Jonathan tore his eyes from the house to her face. He shook his head and brought his hands to her hair.

" I don't know." He whispered. A cold blast of wind swept around them, making him pull her into him.

" Art was innocent." She whispered. He nodded as he stared down at her.

" Mr. Casey, we are getting ready to bring him out now, if you want to look away." An officer said.

Elliot buried her face into her boyfriend's chest. Jonathan's arms tighten around her shoulders. Her hands gripped the shirt at his sides, just under his jacket. Her shoulders started to shake. Her tears were soaking through his shirt. Jonathan frowned as the corners officers started to carry out a stretcher covered in a white sheet. His brother was under that sheet, his body covered with deep stab wounds. Jonathan's throat tighten and he suddenly couldn't swallow.

Art must have fought, he would have fought against Mitch. He must have been so scared. Had he screamed out for Jonathan or Elliot? Had he cried? Did he die quickly? Did he wonder why his brother wasn't saving him? Jonathan squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his face to the top of Elliot's head. He rubbed his face into her hair.

" It's okay." He whispered. " Shock would have set in fast. Shock blocks out the pain." Was he telling her that or himself? " He bled out fast, seconds really." His voice shook as his eyes started to spill over. " He didn't feel anything. He didn't feel the stabs. He wasn't scared. He wasn't calling for me." Elliot pulled her head away to look at him. Jonathan was crying, repeating the words over and over again. She grabbed his face hard.

" Stop. Jonathan, stop." She whispered. He shook his head with his eyes shut. The phrases just flowed out of him. " Shh, Jonathan, shh." She pressed her right hand to his lips. Her own voice was thick with her tears. " Jay, listen to me, please. It's okay now. It's going to be okay. We will get through this, together." His hands fell from her shoulders so she grabbed them and put them around her waist. "Just hold on to me." She stepped up and pressed her lips to his, their tears mixing together and flowing over their mouths.

" I failed him." Jonathan whispered. Elliot shook her head, her forehead brushing against him as she did it.

" You loved him. You did everything for him. This is all my fault." She said. " I should have never came here. I brought Mitch here. I brought him down on you."

" Don't leave me, please." Jonathan begged quietly. All worries about Mitch watching them were gone. " Please don't leave me." He gripped her at her back, guiding her into his body why he begged her over and over.

" I'm not going anywhere." Jonathan dropped to his knees. His hands squeezed her with his face buried into her stomach. She ran one hand through his hair while the other covered her mouth.

" I need you." He kept whispering over and over again.

NRNRNR

Jonathan was laying on his side in the hotel room that he and Elliot had rented. He stared out the window with his mind replaying the imagine of Art on the floor and Elliot covered in his blood. The front of her jeans, shirt, and her hands had been smeared with Art's blood as she hugged him to her and rocked. He had called 911 while she cried over the body.

" Jay, the tub is pretty big, big enough for you to lay down on." Elliot said as she came to her knees by the side of the bed. " You want to take a bath? It might help relax you." Jonathan looked at her and blinked.

" I love you." He said. She nodded while she reached out to him.

" I love you." She said.

" When I find him, I'm going to kill him." Jonathan said. She nodded while her fingers traveled through his hair.

" And I will help you." She said. " Why don't you go and relax in the bath? I will run downstairs to the restaurant and order us some dinner."

" Okay." Jonathan said quietly.

She grabbed him by his shoulders and helped him to sit up. She took his hands and pulled him up. Elliot took the lead and started pulling him towards the bathroom. He heard the water running and closed his eyes. He sighed deeply. Maybe she was right. Maybe a bath was what he needed. He was numb and maybe the water would bring back the feeling to his arms and legs.

Once in the bathroom, Jonathan stood by while she grabbed his shirt. He lifted his arms, letting her take the shirt off him. She dropped it to the floor then looked at his face. Her hands went to his chest. Her nails lightly scratched against his pecs. Jonathan brought his left hand to her hair. He was frowning as his hand travel through the silky strands. They stared hard at each other, neither knowing what to say to the other. Her hands moved down his body to his belt. She pulled at the strap, unbuckled it and then started to undo his pants.

" I love you." She mouthed. His eyes shut, his lips parted and he sighed.

" I love you." He whispered. Both his hands went into her hair. He bend down and nestled into her face. " So much. I'll show you every day, I promise. I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel it. What it takes to make you feel special and beautiful. You are everything to me."

" You are everything to me." She whispered as she took a hold of his elbows. Jonathan tilted his head and brushed his lips against hers. It was light. It was sweet. It was tender. It broke her heart. " Go and relax, okay? I will be back."

" Hurry." He whispered.

A little while later Jonathan was soaking the tub with his head back and his eyes shut. His arms were resting on the edge of the tub and the warm water was completely covering him. He sighed and almost moaned at how relaxed he felt. Elliot had been right. This was what he needed. Elliot. Jonathan frowned without opening his eyes. Where was she?

" Elliot?" He called. The room was quiet. How long had she been gone? " Elliot?"

Jonathan's body jolted as his eyes flew open. What the hell was he doing? Why the fuck did he just let her walk out of the room? What if Mitch had watched them check in and had just been waiting to get her alone? Jonathan almost jumped out of the tub. Water splashed over the edge and he slipped, almost crashing to the floor in his hurry out of the bathroom.

Elliot shifted the bag of their dinner to her left arm. She dug the card key out of her pocket and slipped it into door. When the light clicked from red to green, she pulled it out then pushed the door open. Her breath caught when she found herself staring into the barrel of a gun. Jonathan was staring at her with a wild look on his face. The sides of his hair were sticking up at different angles and his chest was heaving with his panting.

" It's me, Jonathan." She said quietly.

Jonathan lowered the gun quickly. He reached out and grabbed her arm, tugging her in the door and slamming the door shut. He fixed all the locks in place then spun around and grabbed her. A second later, Elliot was slammed into his wet, bare chest. His arms were locked down around her while he struggled to control his breathing.

" Is he here? Did you see him? What took you so long?" He breathed into her hair.

" No. No and I had to order the dinner." She said. " Where did you get the gun?" She asked. Jonathan pulled away and swept his hands through her hair.

" You're okay?" He asked.

" Yes. Where did you get the gun?" She asked again. Jonathan looked down at his right hand, as if he just remembered he was clutching the hand gun.

" It's mine." He said, pulling away. " I grabbed it when I packed our stuff." He turned away from her and started into the room. " I just thought we might need it, to be safe."

Elliot sighed as she took in his disheveled look. He had one sock on and one off. His jeans were on but not buckled or zipped and she could see that he hadn't even bothered to dry off or put on boxers. He buried the gun into his bag and under his clothes before he faced her again. His face was a mask of worry for her and relief that she was back.

" Are you okay?" She asked.

" Yeah. I don't think either of us should go anywhere alone, okay?" Jonathan asked.

_Elliot is sleeping but I can't. Every time I try I have nightmares. I keep seeing Art and Madison but sometimes that image changes and it's Elliot on the floor, with her throat cut. It's four in the morning now and I have just given up. I'm sitting at the table in our hotel room, writing and watching her. She's facing me, huddled up like she usually sleeps._

_I love her. So much. If I lose her, I lose everything. She had given me so much that I can never repay her. I am going to spend my life showing her how much she means to me. Art loved her, adored her. The things she did for my brother, amazing. She took him to the park. She let him feed the ducks for hours. She listened to him go on and on about his cartoons. She let him help her cook. She played games with him, she was his world. She is my world. _

_Last night I was pathetic and sad. Today, I'm angry. I will find this motherfucker. I will hunt him down until I find him and kill him. I swear he will regret what he did to my brother. He will regret touching Elliot. I will beat him to death. Who does this asshole think he is? If he thinks I'm soft because of how I treat Elliot, he is sadly mistaken and I can't wait to prove it to him._

" Jonathan." Elliot whispered as she rolled over and reached for him. The mattress shifted under her a second before his arms circled her.

" I'm right here." He said, pulling her into his chest. She sighed and tangled their legs together. One of his hands started to stroke up and down her back while his other played with her hair.

" What time is it?" She asked while she rubbed her cheek against his chest.

" Ten." Her eyes flew open and she would have pushed off him, had his arms not tighten on her.

" Why didn't you wake me?" She asked.

" You needed to sleep. I called Ron, Anna, and Brad. I told them Art had an accident and I needed to close the bakery for a few days. I called Madison's vet and he is going to the house with Officer Campbell to pick her up. I'm going to have her cremated. Campbell is going to have Art's room cleaned of all the blood." Jonathan said. Elliot settled into him more. Her eyes started to sting with tears she just refused to let fall.

" That's nice." She might have been able to keep the tears from falling but her voice was laced with her sadness. Jonathan squeezed her tightly.

" Don't hold it in, Babydoll." He whispered, pressing his face into her hair. " It's your turn to cry."

" I'm fine." She whispered in return.

" No, you're not. You loved Art and Maddie was yours. Cry, let it out. No need to hold it in. Let it out then we figure out what to do next." Jonathan rubbed his mouth over and over again against her until she gave in and started to cry. She buried her face into her boyfriend's bare chest and held onto him.


	15. Chapter 15

_* Please Review!*_

" So, I have an idea on how we can find Mitch." Elliot said as she finished up brushing her hair after their shower.

" How's that, Babydoll?" He asked. Elliot paused and looked at him as he tugged his shirt over his head. " What?" Jonathan asked when his head popped through the opening.

" Why are you calling me that?" She asked. Jonathan rubbed his lips together and started to run his fingers along the edge of his shirt hem. He looked down to watch his fingers work.

" Once, when Art and I were talking about you, he asked if he could call you baby or babe, like I do. I said no because you were my girlfriend and that was what boyfriends called their girlfriends. So he asked me if he could call you babydoll instead. Because you liked babydolls when you were little, he said." He tilted his head and glanced up at her. She sighed and nodded.

" I did." She said quietly. " I told him that I loved babydolls and I used to have tea parties with them."

She looked down and wiped at her cheeks as a few tears slipped out. Jonathan pushed away from the dresser he had been leaning against and crossed the short distance between them. The back of his hand brushed against her cheek. She closed her eyes and tilted into the touch. Yeah, they had showered together but they hadn't had sex, neither had even thought about it. Now though, the heat and lust flowed freely around them.

Jonathan bent down and kissed against her bottom lip. Elliot's eyes fluttered shut. He kissed against her top lip then each side of her mouth before taking her bottom lip into his mouth and nibbling on it. Her hands came to his shirt. She tugged him down. In a soft groan, Jonathan moved with her as she laid back. His hands came to the bed while they made out. He positioned himself over her, his tongue dancing against her. Under hers it's slipped, around the side, across the top and around the other side.

They undressed each other as slowly as they could manage. Her nails scratched up his back. His hands gripped at her thighs. She opened for him, Jonathan moved in at once. They locked eyes as he hovered above her. Her lips parted, his breath left his lungs. She placed her hands, flat, against his pecs, his legs bent to push hers farther apart. She moaned and shuddered. Jonathan groaned as chills swept through him.

Faster, harder, shorter the thrusts went. Her body pulled at his, sucked him in then let him back out again. He bit down on his bottom lip, her eyes went shut. She arched her neck, tossing her head back. She moaned out his name. He dropped down and latched onto her neck. He sucked hard against her frantic pulse, loving how her heart felt against his tongue. She grabbed his forearms and begged him to never stop. Not that he could if he was paid too. In a rush of emotions and fluid, she came under him and him above her. He poured into her with hot seed leaving his body and mixing with hers. She clutched down onto his dick.

" So you were saying you thought we could find Mitch." Jonathan said as he slid her little black panties up her smooth legs.

" I called my friend Mary. She has an uncle who is a private investigator." She lifted her hips up to allow him to pull them all the way up. " I thought we could go and see him. See how much he cost and if he..." Jonathan leaned down and quickly kissed her as he completely adjusted her panties. " if he can help us."

" We aren't going anyway. We can call him and have him come here but we aren't leaving this room. I'm not taking any chances with the dickhead out there, running wild." Jonathan said, climbing back off the bed to grab her pants.

" Okay, so we call him, have him come here then." Elliot said.

NRNRNR

" You must be Jonathan." The older man said after Jonathan opened the door to their hotel room.

" Yeah, I'm Jonathan." He let the man in then ducked his head out into the hallway to make sure they were along before pulling back and shutting the door again. He flicked all the locks in place then quickly moved to the bathroom. " Elliot, it's okay to come out." He said as he knocked on the door.

" Wow, you guy got some serious shit going on here or something?" The man asked. Jonathan crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall while the bathroom door opened.

" We have had a lot happen to us lately." Elliot said. " You must be Dick."

" I am. You must be Elliot." He reached out to shake her hand but Jonathan's arm shot out. He grabbed Dick's wrist and glared. She lightly touched her boyfriend's hand.

" Jay." She whispered. " He's here to help us."

" Don't touch her." Jonathan said sharply. " No one touches her." Dick's eyebrows came up but he nodded.

" Whatever you say, Man. Whatever you say." He said. Jonathan let him go but reached out to put his arm around the front of Elliot. He guided her so she was partially behind him. " Look, Pal, I'm not going to hurt your girl. You guys called me, remember." Elliot took a hold of Jonathan's arm.

" We have had a lot happen to us." She repeated.

" So you said. You want to sit down and tell me about it?" Dick asked.

Dick lead the way into the room more, with Jonathan behind him and Elliot behind him. He didn't like the idea of talking to someone they didn't know. He didn't like the idea of bring in an outsider, someone who could just as easily work for Mitch as well as them. He didn't trust this guy, not when it came to Elliot. His Elliot, the only thing he had left anymore. He would stay between them so he could be sure her body was guarded by his.

" Start from the beginning." Dick said when he sat down.

Elliot pushed Jonathan down in the other chair at the table then sank down onto his lap. He started to protest but she silenced him with one sharp look of her eyes. Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her straight into his body. She curled up into him and started telling Dick about Mitch. She went over the abuse which made Jonathan hold her tighter. She talked about the pictures, how her car had been destroyed, the bakery broken into, her bash in the head and finally, Art and Maddie's death.

" And you don't know where this guy is?" Dick asked. Elliot shook her head.

" If we did, would we be calling you?" Jonathan snapped. She looked at him quickly.

" Jonathan." She said with a frown. Dick scrubbed a hand over his face.

" Okay, let's get something straight." Dick said as he looked directly at Jonathan. " I get this, okay? I do. This cat beat your girl up, killed her dog and your brother. He's pissed off that you stole her away from him and he's been coming after you ever since. You want to protect her, you don't trust me but I can promise you, I ain't working for him." Jonathan shifted Elliot in his lap so he could lean forward.

" How do I know that?" He asked.

" You don't. You gonna have to trust me." Dick said. " And you should, because I get you. I get you both. I can see how this has to go down, I can see what's in your eyes. You want revenge. You don't want me to find him to bring him to justice and that, I can completely understand. You want to find him so you can handle him, am I right?"

" Right." Jonathan said.

" I'm the guy for the job than. I don't believe in beating women. I don't believe in hurting animals. I don't believe in going after someone who, mentally, is a child. You want his guy's head on a stick, I'm in." Dick said.

" And why's that?" Jonathan asked. " How do I know you won't go to police?" Dick laughed and shook his head.

" I'm not really known for my fair practices, if you know what I mean. I think there is a reason you didn't tell the police about him beating Elliot up and that you think he left the pictures, trashed the car and everything else. Am I right?" Dick asked. Jonathan sat back as he and Elliot exchanged glances. Dick let them talk silently. She seem to be pleading, Jonathan seemed undecided.

" Jay." She whispered. Jonathan looked away, brought his right hand to his bottom lip and started to tap it.

" You want my help to find this asshole, you need to tell me everything." Dick said. Jonathan looked back at him and dropped his hand. He looked up at Elliot then sighed.

" I...ah..." He looked back at Dick and inhaled sharply. " I kicked his ass and he got it on film. My brother kicked his ass, he got it on film. I was to pissed off to noticed a camera in the room and I'm sure Art didn't pay attention. Art thought he killed Mitch so I went to the apartment but he was gone. Art and I wiped Art's fingerprints off everything. I didn't tell the police everything because I think Mitch will send them the tapes." Elliot frowned, not knowing about Art and the fight.

" And if he does that, it will make you and your brother look like the aggressors. You will get in trouble for assault and hiding an assault." Dick said.

" Yeah. But listen, I know this guy killed my brother. I know he has been the one fucking with us." Jonathan rushed to say.

" Oh yeah. There is no doubt in my mind about that. Here is my fee,"

Jonathan rubbed his cheek over and over against her arm while they hammered down the details for Dick's help. He didn't have a bank account so they were going to pay him in cash and they would go to the bank to make the withdraw that day. Jonathan wasn't comfortable with letting Elliot out of the room but there was no way he would leave her there alone. So together, they all piled into Jonathan's car and hurried to the bank. Jonathan kept a tight hold of Elliot.

He had always been affectionate. He had always touched her, hugged her or held her hand. He was forever kissing her neck or her hand. If they were in the room together, they were touching, even if they were small light touches but now, he was gripping her. He was holding her close, even in the line at the bank. He was looking around, keeping her against him. In the hotel, he needed her hand against him or his arms around her.

" Okay. I'm going to go the apartment you lived at with him. See if I can get in so I can get a picture of him." Dick said once they were back in the hotel room.

" How are you going to do that?" Elliot asked. Dick chuckled and shook his head.

" Don't question my methods." He said. He looked over to Jonathan and nodded. " I will talk to you later."

" I look forward to hearing from you." Jonathan said. He pushed the door shut the faced Elliot and leaned against it. " You know what's going to happen when I find him, don't you, Elliot? You know what I have to do it, right?"

" Yes, to both." She answered.

" Can you live with that?" He asked.

" Can you?" Jonathan nodded and started towards her. He pulled her by her hips until she was against him.

" He will never leave you alone if he's alive." He whispered. " I will do anything to protect you." She placed her hands on his shoulders and started to rub them.

" I know. Take me bed. Let's just get lost in each other for the next few hours. Let's just forget about the world." She whispered. Her hands started to trail down his body. " Let's just make this about getting off." Jonathan walked forward, making her walk backwards.

And he took her at her words, made it all about getting off. They undressed without touching before Jonathan ordered her on the bed, on her stomach. She settled into the bed, swallowing over and over again to contain her excitement. He climbed onto the bed and took a hold of her hips. He thrust her hips up and her thighs apart. The next thing Elliot knew, he was pushing deep into her body. She closed her eyes and moaned out.

But instead of going fast and hard, Jonathan pumped his hips slowly, gliding in her, touching her deep, then pulling out. She pushed her uppper half up by her arms. His body leaned over hers with his left hand planted on the bed and his right one taking a hold of her chin. He tilted her head up and to the side. Jonathan ran the tip of his tongue down her neck, almost burning her skin as he moved. She whimpered out. Every time he thrust, her center rubbed against the bed. The cool sheet teased and rubbed against her little nub on the outside while inside, he teased and rubbed a bundle of nerves.

The pleasure of it all rocked through her, touching her straight down into her core. Jonathan tensed and smashed his teeth together while squeezing his eyes shut. He fucked into her, he fucked out of her. She was tight and slick. She was trembling around his dick. This was what she said. This was just about getting off but also about claiming her and her body. He opened his eyes and looked down at the fingers of her left hand. They were fisting the sheet so hard, her knuckles were blanched. He turned his head towards her and hissed into her ear.

" You were made for me." Elliot's mouth fell open. " Your body was made to fit me, to take me like this."

He dropped his hand from her chin to grab the bed. Her head fell down and her upper body collapsed. Her back arched and she was done. She rushed over the edge, crying out loud. The feel of her orgasm made him pick up his pace. His hips slammed into her while she shook and rode through her orgasm but as it came to an end, Jonathan hit her as hard as he could before his body froze. His breath left him in sharp, loud burst. His thighs trembled, his dick jerked, he bit down on his bottom lip. He moaned, filling her head with the sound.

Then they both fell unto their stomachs. He was covered in sweat, she was panting. His weight pushed her down into the bed but it was a welcoming weight. He turned his face into her neck with his breath fanning out across her skin. It heated her one second then cooled her the next. He whispered over and over how much he loved her and how he would protect her. Elliot opened her eyes, feeling them pricking with tears. He wanted to take care of things for her, fix the problems Mitch had created but inside, Elliot knew she had created the problems. She had brought Mitch to Jonathan and Art. Her mind was made up. As he soften and slipped out of her, inch by amazing inch, Elliot knew what had to be done. She knew what she would do to avenge him, Art, and Madison.


	16. Chapter 16

_* Please Review! Where did everyone go with this? Am I boring you guys?*_

" Hey, I brought you guys coffee." Dick said when Jonathan let him into their room the next morning.

" Thank you." Jonathan said, taking the cup holder from the Private Eye. " Elliot's just putting on her make up then she will be out. Where you able to get into the apartment?"

" Yeah. I got a picture of him and I looked around a bit." Dick said. The two men moved through the hotel room and over to the table so they could sit. " Let me tell you, this guy is bat shit crazy. Any picture he still had of Elliot, he either scratched out her face or cut it out. I think he has been there since the police were there because it's pretty torn up inside. He had punched out mirrors, ripped up the sheets and the pillows and toppled over his table and chairs. I know you said your brother went after him but I doubt he did all that."

" No, Art didn't break anything. And yeah, Mitch is nuts." Jonathan said. The bathroom door open, making his head snap up. Dick watched as Jonathan's entire face changed suddenly. His eyes glistened over, his face soften and he started to smile as Elliot came out to join them.

" Hey." She said. " You got a picture of him?" She asked while she made her way to them. Jonathan stood up and held his hand out to her.

" Yeah, Babydoll. He got one. Got into the apartment and out with no problem." He said. She smiled and let him pull her into him. Jonathan sat back down and fit her into his lap. Elliot had her attention turned to Dick but Jonathan's was locked souly on her.

" Do you think he is staying there?" She asked.

" Dick brought you coffee, you want it?" Jonathan asked in his quiet voice. She looked at him and smiled.

" Yeah." Jonathan smiled and reached for one of the cups. Elliot looked back at Dick.

" So, do you think he is staying there?" She asked. Dick shook his head while he made a grab for his own cup.

" No. It looks like he packed some bags and headed out. There are a couple of seedy hotels around that the managers there owe me some favors. I passed his pictures around and they are going to keep an eye out for him."

" Why do you think he'd go one of those? Because I have to tell you, Mitch is very picky about where he stays." She said. Jonathan pushed over a cup for her while his other hand slipped under her shirt. He started to stroke the skin at her side.

" But he is a man on the run. He has to fly under the radar. He has to know the police are looking for him, if nothing else then to question him about the blood in his apartment. My guess, Mitch knows he won't be able to hold it together if they start questioning him. I think he will brag about what he has done to you two and he knows it." Dick said.

" What do we do next?" Jonathan asked.

NRNRNR

After Dick received a call from a manager, the three piled into his car, with Jonathan and Elliot in the back, and headed over to the hotel they believed Mitch was staying in. Dick parked in the back of the parking lot. Jonathan and Elliot moved down in the backseat so they were partially hidden from the view. Their hands were clasped together and the steak out began.

Three hours in, a taxi pulled up to the room. Mitch stepped out, paid for the ride then headed over to his room. Elliot squeezed Jonathan's hand and confirmed that that was her ex-boyfriend. They watched as Mitch unlocked the door then disappeared inside. Dick nodded to himself then looked back at the couple. He turned with his eyebrows up.

" Well, now we know where he is." Dick said. " What do you want to do about it?" Elliot was zoned in on the room. Jonathan's face was dark and hard.

" Let's head back to our hotel." The boyfriend said. " I need to think about some things."

" You sure?" Dick asked.

" Yeah, let's go." Jonathan said.

Elliot watched Jonathan's face while Dick drove. Her boyfriend's head was back and he was staring out the window. She could see the different thoughts and emotions flying through his head. He would frown. His eyes would narrow. His mouth would go tight. He would relax and look sad before looking angry again. All the emotions only made her decision easier to make. It harden her and made her pulse quicken. She was going to handle Mitch. She wasn't sure how but she would. Elliot leaned into him, making Jonathan look at her. She cuddled into him. He put his arms around her shoulders while she stared up at him.

" I have been thinking about something." She whispered.

" And what's that?" He asked. He brought a hand to her throat and started to stroke it.

" I think we should go to the court house." Elliot said.

" For what?" Jonathan asked. She blinked and swallowed. Something flashed through her eyes. Was it sadness?

" I think we should get married." She whispered. Jonathan held his breath as shock went through him. He looked from her right eye to her left one. " I don't want to be with anyone else. I want my things to be yours. I want you to have everything that I have, to keep it all. I want you entitled to everything that is mine, if something were to happen to me." Her chin started to quiver. Jonathan's hand went to her cheek. He brought his face down to hers.

" Nothing is going to happen to you, Elliot." He whispered.

" I love you." Elliot whispered. He pulled away to look at her and smile.

" Dick." Jonathan called out.

" Yeah?" The Private Eye asked.

" Take us to the courthouse. We want to get married." His thumb stroked Elliot's cheek. " We need you to witness it."

" You sure about that?" Dick asked.

" Yes." Jonathan said. He tilted his head and brushed his lips against hers.

In their street clothes, with their arms around each other, a judge married Jonathan and Elliot. They stared at each other. Jonathan smiled, her eyes filled. He framed her face and leaned down when it was time. Gently and carefully, they kissed. One of her tears dropped down to his face. Dick smiled. She took a hold of Jonathan's sides.

" I love you, Wife." He whispered.

" I love you, Husband." She returned.

Jonathan had his arm linked around Elliot's while they walked down the hallway towards their hotel room. Dick was going to have a drink in the bar down the stairs while the couple had some alone time to enjoy their new marriage. Jonathan was nestling and kissing against Elliot's neck, trusting her to lead the way to their room, when she gasped.

" Jay." She breathed. He looked at her quickly paling face then to their room. Their door was kicked in.

" Son of a bitch!" He yelled. " Stay behind me."

Elliot's hands gripped at the back of his shirt while Jonathan's arms caged her against his back. Together they made their way into the room. Jonathan looked into the bathroom and when he didn't see anything, he started into the room. Everything looked as it had when they left it. Their bed was untouched, the bags still zipped closed and sitting by the dresser. Jonathan turned and shook his head.

" We can't stay here." He said. " We can't stay at this hotel." Elliot's phone went off in her pocket. She dug it out and stared hard at the number.

" It's him." She said. Jonathan grabbed her phone and connected the call, bring it to his ear and staring at his new wife.

" So, you're such a slut that now you have two men following after you? Tell me, Elliot, which one fucks you the best? Jonathan or the old man? Who's cock make you tremble like the whore you are?" Mitch spit out into the phone.

" Do not talk to my wife like that." Jonathan snapped.

" Your wife? Are you shitting me!" Mitch yelled.

" When I get a hold of you, you are going to pay in blood for what you did to my brother! I am going fucking kill you! You fucked with the wrong guy!" Jonathan yelled.

" This is her fault, you know that! If she would have just been a good, little bitch, your brother would still be alive! I wasn't done with her!" Mitch screamed. " And I will have her back!"

" You will never touch her again!" Jonathan screamed in return. He flung the phone across the room in another yell. It hit the wall and broke. " Pack up! We are leaving!" Jonathan snapped as he started out of the hotel room.

" Jonathan." Elliot said.

" I said pack up!" He yelled. When he didn't hear anything, he spun around to see Elliot glaring at him.

" Do not order me around." She said with a clear, sharp tone. " Mitch might have beat me but do not forget that I beat him back. He had just as many bruises as I had." Jonathan frowned. He looked away, shoving one hand into his hair. He closed his eyes, pulled it then looked back at her, dropping his hand to his side.

" I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell you what to do." He said. " I just think we need to go and now." She came to him slowly. She reached up an took a gentle hold of his face.

" Don't let him pull us apart, okay? I don't want to fight with you." She said. Jonathan lowered down and closed his eyes again.

" I'm sorry, Elliot." He whispered. " I just want to get out of here."

She gathered everything in the bathroom while he grabbed their bags. He opened one and let her throw their stuff in. Together, they hurried through the hotel. He kept one hand on her lower back and both were looking around, taking in everything. Both wanted to be alert in case Mitch was close by. When they left the elevator, Jonathan's anger spiked again. He led her towards the front desk.

" What the hell kind place you running here!" He yelled to the clerk.

" Jonathan." Elliot started.

" I'm sorry, do you have a problem, Sir?" The young man asked.

" Hell yeah I have a fucking problem! Someone kicked in our hotel room and no one noticed!" Jonathan yelled.

" What's going on?" Dick asked as he walked up to them. Elliot pulled away from her husband to go to the private eye. Jonathan was yelling while the poor clerk paled and paled.

" Mitch broke into our hotel room." She said.

" You have to be kidding me. He must have seen us leave then." Dick said, his eyes started to scan the area.

" He called me." Elliot said. " But Jonathan broke my phone."

" Sir, if you just calm down. We can call the police. If anything was taken, the hotel will pay to replace it." The clerk said.

" I don't want to pay for the room!" Jonathan was yelling.

" I think Jonathan is cracking." Elliot said quietly. She was sadly watching him as he yelled.

" Let me talk to him." Dick said. He patted Elliot's arm then quickly went to his client. " Jonathan, calm down." He said when he reached Jonathan.

" No! I'm not going to calm down! We were going three hours and no one here knew what happen! That's bullshit!"

" Look, let's check out, the hotel isn't going to charge you for the nights you were, we need to go. We need to get Elliot some place safe, you need to calm down." Dick said as he gripped Jonathan's arm. Jonathan frowned but looked back at his new, young wife.

" I..." He opened his mouth to say...what? She was clutching some of their bags to her while she nodded at him.

" I want to go, Jay." She said.

" I have some place we can stay at. It will safe. Come on now." Dick said.


	17. Chapter 17

_* Please Review! The car scene came to from my Mary! Thank you for the idea! _

_**water warrior:**__ I know, right? He looked scary when he got mad in the movie_

_**Coconut**__: Yeah, he's losing it a bit_

_**Java: **__thank you!_

_**Knyte:**__ my Mary! *_

Jonathan and Elliot tossed their bags into his car then climbed in with Jonathan still fuming. He was cursing and yelling. She was talking, trying to calm him down but Jonathan wanted no part of it. As they followed Dick through the town, she tried to reason with her husband. She took a hold of his arm, moved in closer to him and spoke quickly but nothing was calming him down. Finally, she gave up and moved away from him. She sat as far from him as she could. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window. Finally, as they pulled into a small hotel parking lot, Jonathan quieted down. He pulled into a spot and put it in park but he didn't turn it off. His hands were gripping the steering wheel and he was staring straight ahead of him.

" Elliot." He said through his teeth gritted together.

" What?" She snapped. He clamped his mouth shut and worked his jaw back and forth in his anger. His breathing was leaving him in loud bursts. Dick had went into the hotel office to get them a room and give them some time to calm down.

" I'm sorry." Jonathan said.

" It's fine." She snapped. Jonathan's shoulders sank as tension left him. He looked at her before he reached out. Elliot twitched out his reach quickly. Jonathan pulled back quickly.

" Babydoll, don't be scared of me." He said quietly. She whipped around to face him.

" Don't be scared of you? Are you serious? I am not scared of you. I am pissed at you and I don't want to be touched right now." She almost growled at him.

" Why are you pissed at me?" Jonathan asked in surprise.

" Maybe because you are acting like an asshole!" She yelled. Jonathan sighed but nodded.

" I am and I'm sorry." He said. A look of shock flew over her face. It was clearly not the reaction she had been expecting from him. Jonathan reached out again and this time, she allowed him to stroke down her arm. He need the touch and they both knew it. His fingertips were warm and soft against her skin. " I'm sorry, Elliot. I lost it and I had no right too. I broke your phone and yelled at you. I'm sorry." Elliot closed her eyes and pressed her lips together hard, so hard they turned white. Jonathan slid across his seat and took a hold of her neck. He pulled her into him and nestled his nose against her cheek. "I'm sorry, Babydoll." She turned into his face and kissed the tip of his nose.

" It's okay." She whispered. He started to rub the back of her neck.

" No, it's not. I just lose my shit when it comes to you." Jonathan whispered.

" Let's get in a room, okay? We'll get something to eat then really consummate this marriage." She said. Jonathan smiled.

" That sounds really, really great." He said. They kissed lightly then he pulled away. Together, they opened their doors and stepped out as Dick came out of the office with a set of keys. " Do you need some money for the room?"

" Nah, Manager owes me. I caught his wife cheating on him." Dick said, tossing his keys to Jonathan. " Get your bags in the room then let's go eat and talk about our next move. I'll drive."

As soon they tossed their things in their new room, the couple took hands and piled into Dick's car. Dick drove while they cuddled up in the backseat. Jonathan's arm was around Elliot's shoulders while her head was on his chest. Jonathan didn't need to talk about his next move, he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to beat Mitch to death. Elliot, on the other hand, had plans of her own. She just needed to figure out a way to get away from Jonathan. She would take his gun, go to Mitch's hotel, and...

Dick's car rocked forward as it was hit from behind. Jonathan and Elliot whipped around while Dick cursed. Mitch was behind the wheel of a car, slowing it down. The bumper of the car was hanging loose. A second later he started speeding up, intending to hit them again. Dick and Jonathan were yelling, Elliot was bracing herself for impact.

" Hang on!" Dick yelled, cutting his wheel to the side. The car started to fish tail a second before the back end started to come up. Elliot grabbed the ceiling with one hand and the door with another. Jonathan grabbed her.

" Elliot, hang on!" Jonathan screamed. Mitch's car slammed into Dick's again, rocking them to the side. Elliot's head hit the passenger window. Jonathan flew into her lap as glass exploded around them. Dick's car screeched to a stop. All three in the car groaned. Elliot grabbed her head and closed her eyes. Jonathan pulled himself up with his eyes shut, pawing at her. " Elliot, are you okay?"

" I hit my head." She whined. Jonathan shook his head to try and clear his thoughts before he opened his eyes. He looked to his right to see Mitch's car was parked beside them with his driver's side door open. The door by Elliot was ripped open and she was yanked out. Jonathan whipped around to see Mitch press a gun to her temple.

" You shouldn't have married her!" Mitch screamed.

" Let her go." Jonathan said. As Jonathan moved forward, Mitch and Elliot started backwards. He wrapped his free arm around her waist.

" No." Mitch spit out.

" What do you what?" Dick asked as he open the door to his car.

" Just her." Mitch said.

" Let her go, please." Jonathan found himself begging as he stepped out of his car.

" Ah, no. She never should have left me. I didn't give her permission." Mitch said.

" I don't need your permission." Elliot snapped. Mitch jolted her, hard.

" Shut the fuck up!" He hissed, pressing the gun into her harder.

" You can't get away with this. There are two of us and one of you." Dick said, making Mitch laugh.

" First off, what are you going to go? You're nothing but an old drunk. Second, I have a gun and I will pull the trigger." He said.

" You have nowhere you can go." Jonathan said.

At once, Mitch shot at the car, making Jonathan and Dick dropped to the ground. Mitch hauled Elliot up and whipped around. He took off into the woods. Elliot screamed but he hissed at her to shut up then hit her with his gun before transferring her to his shoulder. Jonathan screamed out for her as he and Dick ran after Mitch.

" Jay!" She screamed.

" I said shut up!" Mitch yelled.

" Elliot!" Jonathan yelled as he and Dick ran. He pushed the branches out of his way, jumped over roots and dodged brushes. They followed her screams and they weren't far behind. Sweat poured off Jonathan while Dick panted hard.

" There is nothing out here! He has nowhere he can go!" Dick yelled, running after Jonathan.

" Elliot!" Jonathan yelled again.

" Fuck!" Mitch hissed, coming up on a cliff. He dropped Elliot down to ground but kept a hard grip on her as he looked around for an escape. She was struggling, kicking and trying to bit him. " Fucking bitch!" Mitch yelled. There was nothing. Nowhere for him to go without them following her. He looked over the muddy, root covered cliff then grinned at her. " I will teach your ass to leave me!" He pushed her hard over the cliff then took off into the woods again

Elliot's scream ripped through the air as she tumbled down. Mud hit her hard as her back slammed down, rocks and stones bit into her exposed skin. She grabbed at anything and everything. Her hand found a strong root so she latched on hard, stopping her fall. She swung around fast with her upper body slamming into the side of the cliff.

" Elliot!" Jonathan yelled as he and Dick came to the cliff edge.

" Jonathan!" She called out. Both Jonathan and Dick's head popped over the edge.

" Hold on!" Jonathan said in a panic.

" Holy shit!" Dick yelled. " Lean down and I'll hold your legs!" Jonathan dropped to his stomach and leaned over the cliff. Dick slapped his hands down on the other man's ankles. Jonathan reached down to Elliot with one hand while clutching at the ground with the other.

" Reach out for me." He called down to her.

" I can't! If I let go, I'll fall!" Elliot called.

" No you won't, Elliot, trust me, okay? I'm not going to let you fall." Jonathan said. Adrenaline and panic were coursing through his system and before he knew it, Jonathan was panting and whimpering. "Please, Elliot, you have to try." She reached her left arm up and out to him. Their fingertips brushed together before Elliot slipped and yelled. She grabbed at the root again.

" I can't!" Elliot said as a few tears slipped down her cheeks, cleaning the mud away from her cheeks.

" Yes, you can. Elliot, try again." Jonathan urged her. " Brace yourself against the cliff, push with your legs and reach out again. Come on!" She did as he ordered, bracing herself and pushing up. She let go of the branch and threw her arm straight up. Her hand slammed down into Jonathan's. " Now hold on, Babydoll. I'm going to pull you then you need to reach up with your other hand and grab me."

" Okay." She said. Jonathan pull as hard as he could, almost dragging her up the cliff side. She reached out and they clasped hands tightly. She kicked, pushing her legs while he pulled.

" Don't look down. Look at me, okay, Sweetheart." Jonathan coaxed. Their eyes were locked together as they worked to get her off the cliff. " You're doing good. Dick! Help pull me back! Elliot, you're almost there. Grab my arms now."

As she was pulled closer to him, her hands slide tightly up his arms while his moved down hers. They gripped at each other as they stared. Jonathan was nodding and coaxing her on. When he finally reached her chest, he yanked her up as hard as he could. He rolled to his back, pulling her across his upper body. He was panting with his face buried into her stomach.

" You did it!" He breathed. " We did it!" She crawled off him and turned around as he sat up. They grabbed each other hard. Jonathan pulled her into his lap as she started to cry silently. Jonathan closed his eyes and threw his hand into her hair, muttering and whispering over and over how much he loved her.

" Look, we need to get out of here. He could be scoping us out right now." Dick said as he looked around. Jonathan looked up at him without pulling away from Elliot.

" We can't drive your car." He said. Dick nodded as he dug out his phone.

" No, I can't but don't worry. I know someone who will tow it and rent us a car. I got someone who owes me something." Dick said.

" A lot of people owe you things." Jonathan breathed.

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Jonathan's arms were tight around Elliot's bare waist. They were standing under the hot water in their hotel room shower, making out and pressing into each other. Their mud covered clothes littered the bathroom tilted floor. They were clean, having taking turns washing each other carefully. Now, their hips were thrusting slowly against one another. His hard erection rubbed against her slick center. He hadn't entered her and won't. He needed to kiss her to much to turn her and wasn't ready to pull away to take her on the bed. So instead, they moved, bring each other pleasure in a way they never have before.

Because of their emotions were running so high, she started to cum against him, trembling and panting. He sent his orgasm spraying out against her inner thighs.


	18. Chapter 18

_* Please Review! Thank you for everything you guys!*_

Elliot sat in the center of the bed, in her black pajama pants and a tank top, watching Jonathan as he walked towards the door. He was clad only in a pair of pajama pants and socks. He had his gun out and pressed against his lower leg as he peered through the peephole of the door. Elliot held her breath. They had just gotten out of the shower and dressed when a strong knock came to their door.

" Jonathan! It's Dick!" Came the voice. Jonathan's shoulders sank down as he pulled away from the door. Elliot sank against the headboard of the bed and sighed while her husband unlocked the door and pulled it open.

" Hey." He said, stepping aside to let the man in.

" Hey. Elliot, how are you doing?" Dick asked. She smiled sadly.

" I'm okay." She said quietly. Jonathan looked around outside quickly before he shut and locked the door. He turned and hurried to the bed.

" So I think it's safe to say that Mitch has lost his mind." Dick said. He leaned against the dresser and crossed his arms over his chest. Jonathan climbed into the bed and pushed himself over to Elliot. He looped an arm around hers and let his hand slide down her arm so they could take hands. Their fingers tangled together hard. His rough ones against her soft ones.

" Can I ask you something?" Elliot asked Dick.

" Sure thing." Dick said.

" Do you think he will stop? Do you think he will ever just leave us alone and let us live our life?" Elliot asked. Jonathan squeezed her hand while he looked at her.

" I don't know." Dick said. Jonathan leaned down and pressed his lips to her shoulder.

" But in your experience with working with people, what would you say? Will he walk away or do I have to die first?" She asked.

" You're not going to die." Jonathan muttered between the kisses he was placing against her skin. Dick and Elliot locked eyes. " I'm not going to let him hurt you again."

" Dick." Elliot said. Dick sighed loudly and dropped his hands to the dresser. He took a hold of it and shook his head.

" He doesn't have to answer that." Jonathan said with his eyes shut. " Because I'm telling you, nothing will happen." Elliot nodded her understanding to the man standing across from her. He didn't believe Mitch would stop. He did believe Elliot was going to die by Mitch's hand. She looked at Jonathan and took a hold of his chin. He opened his eyes as she tilted him up so she could look into his beautiful blues.

" Tomorrow morning, I want to go to the bank. I want to add you to my account." She said. " Then I want to find a lawyer and make up a power of attorney. If something does happen, I need to know that you will be able to take care of anything in regards to me, legally."

" Nothing is going to happen." Jonathan repeated. She swallowed and nodded. " Elliot, you believe me, don't you? I'll kill him before he can kill you."

" This is important to me, Jay. I know we are married now but I just need to be sure you will be allowed to handle my things." She said.

" Okay, Babydoll. I'll add you to mine, too. We will get up and go tomorrow morning." He said. She stroked the underside of his chin, making Jonathan smile. " And you're right, we are married now. You know what I did to him when you were just my girlfriend. Imagine what I will do now that you are my wife." She smiled as she felt her eyes start to burn with unshed tears.

_My wife. I just can't believe it. I'm married now. I love her so much. When Mitch took off with her, I was so angry, and scared. I lost my mind. She was screaming, I could hear her but I couldn't get to her fast enough. My heart was beating so fast, it actually hurt me. When I couldn't find her, I thought I lost her. I thought he threw over the cliff and I'd see her dead._

_I lost my brother. I won't lose her too. I think she is scared. I think she thinks Mitch is going to kill her but I refuse to let that happen. I'm thinking I might go to police. I might turn myself in for beating him and telling them what happen with Art. I know I will be arrested but maybe if the police get involve they can find him. But I don't know. I'm not a fan of that. I don't think I did anything wrong and I don't want to leave Elliot._

NRNRNR

Papers were signed, she was added to his account, he was on hers. A power of attorney was drawn up for them both. Jonathan would make medical decisions for Elliot if she couldn't and she would make them for him. He put the bakery and the house in her and his name. She was added to his health and car insurance. He squeezed her hand and smiled over and over as they joined their lives more and more. Everything was sighed and filed.

" This is it. You are stuck with me." Jonathan said as he clutched her coat outside the bank. Her cold fingers slipped under his shirt to brush against his quickly heating skin while she smiled.

" You are stuck with me." She said. Jonathan kissed her quickly, loving how warm her lips were against his cold ones.

_The rest of the day Elliot and I spend with her friends while Dick did whatever he did. We had lunch with a group of friends, telling them we were married now. They cheered us which I was surprised. I thought they'd be upset that we didn't have a white dress, church wedding. We went back to the hotel and spend the afternoon in bed. She was crazy and I almost couldn't keep up. We would get off, wait a half hour and she was ready to go again. It was like she couldn't get enough of me. I'm not complaining! _

_For dinner we went out with some more friends. For a while I wanted her to forget our problem but she didn't. I could see the sadness in her eyes when she looked at me or her friends. I asked her if she had wanted a big wedding with her friends but she said no. She said she had always wanted to get married in Vegas by Elvis. After Mitch is gone, I'm going to make that happen for her. I promised it to her over drinks after dinner. She just smiled, kissed me and said okay. _

NRNRNR

Elliot watched Jonathan sleep while she dressed. He was passed out on the bed after a long hour of play. She had drained him, knowing she needed him as deep in sleep as she could get him. She tucked his gun into her waist band, her eyes starting to cloud over with tears. This was it. There was no other option for her. She would handle Mitch on her own. She wasn't going to risk Jonathan.

Her husband sighed in his sleep with the sheet covering him from the waist down. His bare chest was still slick with sweat and his cheeks were flushed from his orgasm. Elliot quietly moved to the side of the bed. She reached out and ran her fingertips down his bare arm. He moaned out low with his left arm stretched out and his right hand clutching his blankets.

" I love you." Elliot whispered. She swallowed hard and nodded to herself. " I do, Jonathan. Please remember that. And don't hate me so this."

Before she could start to cry, she pulled away. She moved to the dresser, grabbed the keys to his car and left. If she didn't leave, she might change her mind and she couldn't do that, won't do that. There was only thing that would stop Mitch. Either he had to die or she did and she was ready. As she started the car she knew she was ready. She had found someone she loved with all her heart and who loved her back. She got to spend time with that man and marry him. She could go to her grave happy. She had wished she had been able to give him a child but she was going to be grateful for the time she had with him.

With her stomach in knots, Elliot drove across the town to the hotel she knew Mitch was hiding in. It was a dirt hole place where hookers took their johns. Just the type of place no one would call the cops if they heard a gun shot and there would be a gun shot. Either from her or him. She took slow, long, loud breaths to calm herself. She wouldn't let Mitch see her fear.

She parked right in front of his room, turned the car off and stared. The door to the room opened and her ex-boyfriend stepped out. He smirked, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. Elliot blew out through her mouth to steady herself. With her eyes locked on Mitch's, she made sure the gun was covered by her shirt then left Jonathan's car.

" You alone?" Mitch asked.

" Yes. We need to talk." She said while walking towards him. Mitch snorted.

" Do we now? How do I know your little team isn't just going to burst through the door the second I let you in?" Mitch asked.

" Are you scared?" Elliot snapped, knowing Mitch would raise to the challenge. His eyes narrowed. His mouth clamped shut a second before it opened in a sneer at her.

" Of you and that pathetic excuse for a husband? Fuck no." He dropped his arms from his chest and grabbed her. He yanked her into the room and slammed the hotel room shut.

NRNRNR

" Elliot?" Jonathan called out without opening his eyes. He frowned and felt along the bed. He sighed, opened his eyes and shook his head to clear the sleep away. " Babydoll?" When she didn't answer, Jonathan pushed himself up. He ran a hand over his face then rubbed the back of his head. His eyes swept the room, landing on the TV. There was a note taped to the screen. Jonathan scrambled up and across the room to snatch the note up.

_Jay,_

_I hope you can understand why I left. I need to handle Mitch in my own way and I knew you would never let me go. I can't let him hurt you. I can't let him take you away from me. He will never leave us alone, ever. I'm sorry for what he has done to you and Art. I loved Art like he was my own brother and I will make Mitch pay for hurting him._

_I love you. I want you to remember that. You have been the best part of my life, everything I have ever wanted for myself. I couldn't have created a more perfect man to be my husband. If I don't make it out of this, if Mitch kills me, I want you to go on with your life. I want you to marry, have children. I don't want my death to stop you from living. I will be with you always and if I can find a way to send you a sign, I will. You completely have my heart and soul._

_I love you-_

_Elliot, your babydoll, your wife_

Jonathan yelled and snatched his phone up. He pulled Dick's number and spun around to look at the clock. It was a little after ten-thirty at night. Good, she couldn't been gone long. He knew he had fallen asleep around nine-thirty. He cursed at Dick for not picking up the phone on the first ring. He ran to his window to check to see if she took his car.

" Hey, Jonathan, you alright?" Dick asked.

" Elliot is gone! She went to that asshole! She left me a note! Get your ass over here!" Jonathan yelled.


	19. Chapter 19

_* Please Review! One more chapter and this story is done but don't worry! I have another idea for this movie!*_

Elliot's fist caught Mitch across the jaw. He yelled and grabbed her by her arms. Mitch spun them around and flung her into the wall by the motel bed, causing her back to hit it first then her head. While she slid to the floor, she reached out to try and steady herself. She gripped at the blankets but they did little to stop her fall. Mitch growled and came for her again. Elliot punched out again, this time catching him right in the groin.

" Fucking bitch!" Mitch yelled as he grabbed himself and went to his knees.

" You don't want me so why are you doing this?!" Elliot yelled as she pulled herself up.

" No one leaves me!" He said.

" Why did you kill Art? Why Madison? They were innocent." Elliot said. Mitch righted himself and glared.

" Innocent! That stupid, fucking dog laid around on everything like she owned it! That innocent idiot came to my place to beat me up! Your HUSBAND beat me up! I'm just supposed to let that go!" Mitch yelled.

" You beat me up!" Elliot yelled.

" And you deserved it!" Mitch yelled before he backhanded Elliot. She spun to her right side and fell to the ground. She rolled to her back as Mitch dropped to his knees beside her. She narrowed her eyes up at him. " You're such a bitch!" He hit the heel of his hand against her forehead, forcing her head to snap back. As the back of her head slammed into the floor of his room, stars burst through her vision. Darkness threaten to take her over suddenly. The pain coursing through her head was almost unbearable.

_' Stay awake.'_ She begged herself.

" If you would have just stayed put, your little brother-in-law would still be alive." Mitch said as he stood up. She groaned and brought her hand to her side. She slipped it under her shirt and fingered Jonathan's gun. " If you had just done what I asked and stayed in the apartment, Jonathan wouldn't have lost his brother. Damn it, Elliot! When are you going to learn that listening to me the best for everyone!" She propped herself up on her elbows and shook her head to clear it.

_' I will not pass out.'_ She whispered through her mind. Pain was spider-webbing through the back of her skull. Her brain ached. She turned her head to the side and spit out some of the blood that had filled her from his hand.

" I hate you." She said.

" I'm not a fan of yours either." Mitch said without turning around. She pulled herself up and moaned when her head started to spin.

" What is wrong with you? What happen to you that you need to ruin everything for everyone?" Elliot asked. Mitch laughed as he faced her again.

" What are you trying to do? Dr. Phil me?" He asked. " Let me lay it all out for you, Sweetheart. I wanted you when I first saw you. I got you and I planned on keeping you until I got bored. And lucky for me, you are a fighter. The more you fought me, the more I fucking wanted your ass. But then you left, without my permission and no one leaves me. That pissed me off so now, I am going to have you at least one more time and then I'm going to kill you and more on." Elliot shook her head and started to laugh.

" You are so stupid." She said.

" Stop laughing at me, bitch!" Mitch yelled.

" Eat. Shit." Mitch roared and took off. He hit her hard, knocking her backwards. He landed on top of her and drilled her hard into her stomach. Tears flooded her eyes. She grabbed him by his hair and yanked it hard. Mitch's head went back as he gritted his teeth together.

" Fucking bitch!" He yelled, landing another punch to her side. Elliot dropped his head and cried out. Anger burst through her. She grabbed his face and jumped her thumbs into his eyes. Mitch screamed and yanked away from her.

_' Now or never.'_ She yelled silently. She grabbed Jonathan's gun and pointed.

NRNRNR

" Just stay here! I need to get the key to his room! Manager owes me something!" Dick said as he threw his car into park.

" Hurry up! I'm sick and tired of hearing about who owes you shit!" Jonathan yelled.

Dick flew out his car and into the office. Jonathan threw open the door to the car and took off. Dick knew where the room was, he could meet him there. He pumped his legs as hard as he could, sprinting through the parking lot and towards his wife. If she was dead, he would choke the life right out of Mitch. He choke him until the life leaked from his face.

" Jonathan!" Dick yelled.

A second later, Jonathan heard his car start up and knew the Private Eye was racing towards him. And he was right. Dick pulled up beside him, tossing the key to the room out of the window. Jonathan snatched it up off the floor and skidded to a halt as he came upon Mitch's room. Dick's car slowed then stopped. He didn't even bother to turn it off as he leaped out. Jonathan put the key in the hole and turned. Together, Dick and Jonathan flew into the room.

" Get this crazy bitch away from me!" Mitch yelled to them. He was sitting on the bed with Elliot on his left. She had a gun pressed against his temple and was facing the men.

" Elliot, Babydoll, put down the gun." Jonathan said as he started to inch into the room.

" He has to pay." She said.

" He will. Just put it down before you do something you regret." Jonathan said. Dick slowly closed the door to the room, trapping the four inside.

" Elliot. Listen to Jonathan." He said.

" She's too stupid to put the gun down! She's a stupid bitch who doesn't know shit!" Mitch yelled.

" Do not speak to my wife like that." Jonathan snapped without taking his eyes from Elliot. His hands were out in front of him and he was moving slowing towards her. " Elliot, please, give me the gun. Just let me have it, Honey." He tried to coax.

" I can't do that, Jay. I'm sorry." Elliot said, staring at Mitch.

" I told you she won't! That's why I had to beat her! I had to try and make her listen! She's..." Elliot squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet straight through Mitch's brain. Blood splattered all over the bed as he fell to the side. Dick closed his eyes. Jonathan continued moving forward.

" Look at me, Elliot." He ordered. Her breath came out in a sob but she lowered the gun and did as he asked. Jonathan rushed forward and caged her between his arms. He closed his eyes and just...held her. Right against his chest.

" I didn't have a choice." Elliot said as the tears finally started to spill out of her eyes.

" It's okay." Jonathan whispered. " It's okay. We will figure something out."

" We can make this work." Dick said. " We can make it look like a suicide." Elliot pulled out of Jonathan's chest as her chest shuddered. His hands came to her face. His eyes and thumbs went over the fast growing bruises on her cheeks.

" Are you okay?" He whispered. She nodded and tried to look away, tried to look towards Mitch but Jonathan held her tightly. " No, Elliot, don't look at him." His right thumb gently swept across her split lip. " Oh God, Babydoll, did he do that to you?"

" I fought back." She whispered.

" We have cleaning up to do here." Dick interrupted.

" I used his gun. I brought your gun with me but made him give me his. We can wipe my fingerprints off it and place it in his hands." Elliot said. Jonathan smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead.

" You're so smart." He whispered. " I need to help Dick but I don't want you to look at Mitch, okay?" She nodded.

" Okay." She whispered. Jonathan took the gun from her then looked at Dick.

" What do we do?" He asked.

Everything Elliot touched was wiped off and cleaned. Mitch's gun, included, then it was placed in Mitch's hand. Jonathan wrapped his arm around Elliot and she was led from the room. They climbed into the back of Dick's car while he called the manager of the hotel. He was promised that no one saw them there and that Mitch was alone in the hotel room.

NRNRNR

_Elliot passed out the second I got her in bed, after she was showered. She was restless all night, tossing and turning. I couldn't sleep either. I'm scared. What if the police don't buy the suicide? What if they arrest her? What will I do? I know what I'll do. I will sell the house and the bakery to get her the best lawyer I can. _

As Jonathan's phone went off in the morning, he stepped outside quickly. It was nine and Elliot was still sleeping. He wanted her in bed as long as she could be. He needed to keep her down and hidden from view. Her jawline, her cheeks, and her neck had bruises all over them. Her bottom lip was swollen and split. He wasn't sure what had went on between her and Mitch but he would find out.

" Hello?" Jonathan asked with one hand in his pocket.

" Jonathan? What is going on? I have been trying to reach Elliot but she won't call me back." Officer Campbell's voice greeted him and made his stomach dropped.

" Ah, yeah, we, sort of, broke her phone." He said.

" Well, I have some information for you guys. Turns out, Mitch was wanted for questioning in the disappearance of an ex girlfriend and was the only suspect in the death of another one." Campbell said. "He was ordered not to leave the state the Texas but he fled." Jonathan cleared his throat.

" Do you mean he was?" He asked.

" Well, he was found last night. He killed himself. Left a note too. I'm sorry to tell you this but it looks like he killed your brother. He said as much in the note." Campbell said.

" He did?" Jonathan said, shutting his eyes and sighed.

" Yeah, he did. And I shouldn't be telling you this but he confessed to beating Elliot when they were together. I have no tolerance for that. I'm signing off on his report. I'm not launching an investigation into his death. He was a snake and I'm glad trash like him is off the Earth." Campbell said.

" So what are you saying?" Jonathan asked.

" I'm putting him down as your brother's murderer and ruling his death a suicide." Campbell said.


	20. Chapter 20

_* Please review! Mary, here is your good feeling ending! Thank you for reading and reviewing this story! I'm so glad that some of you watched this movie because of my story. This is what I want. I want to enlighten people on Norman's little known works so yeah! I am already planning a new Bad Seed Story with a different OC*_

_People say the first year of marriage is the toughest but it has been nothing compared to our first few days. Tonight, I am ordering dinner in for my beautiful wife. It's our anniversary and we are spending it in, not that I mind. She's not ready to go out yet and I love being at home. I don't even want to go to work this morning but she's making me. I have had two weeks off now, they need me, she said._

Jonathan stomped his legs against their welcoming matt, kicking off the snow that had fallen so early. He opened the door quietly, stepped in and shut it to fend off the cold. He shrugged his jacket off and hung it up before he hurried through the house. The TV was playing softly from his living room, telling him right where he was wife was resting. With a grin, he rounded the corner and stepping into the living room, catching her eyes.

" Hey." She said.

" Hey. How are you feeling?" Jonathan asked, coming forward. Elliot's legs were resting on the coffee table and she was snuggled deep into her favorite blanket.

" I'm okay. Dick let me nap." Elliot said. Jonathan hurried around the coffee table then bent down when he reached her. He placed the knuckles of his left hand under her chin, tilted her head up and kissed her lightly.

" Good." He whispered. " Can I have him?" Elliot smiled and nodded.

" Yeah. He's all fed and changed, just been waiting for his daddy." Jonathan placed one hand under the two week old's head and the other under his butt. The baby grunted while Jonathan brought him to his chest.

" What are you grunting for, AJ?" He asked. He turned and sank down next to his wife. He settled the infant against him then kissed the top of his head. " Where is Dick?"

" Walking the dog. You know, I don't need him here. I can take care of AJ alone." She said.

" You're healing. In four weeks, Dick can go back to his work, besides, he loves this little guy." Jonathan said as the sounds of sharp nails on hard wood floor greeted them, telling the couple the walk was over.

" I do love him, even though he pissed all over me today." Dick said as he followed the yellow lab into the room. " You two have fun tonight. I'm taking off. I need to cash in some favors." He strolled forward and bend down when he reached Jonathan and AJ. " Arthur Jonathan Casey, no peeing on Uncle Dick tomorrow. Got it?" He said before he kissed the top of the baby's head. He leaned over Jonathan and kissed Elliot's forehead.

" I will see you in the morning, Sweetheart." He said. The couple muttered their goodbyes while staring at their newborn. Elliot leaned into Jonathan as their front door closed. Jonathan was smiling and rubbing the baby's cheek.

" Are you upset?" She asked. Jonathan pulled the baby away from his chest so he could bring AJ to his face.

" How could I be upset?" He asked as he rubbed his nose against his son's.

" Because it's our anniversary and we can't have sex." As the baby sighed, Jonathan kissed his cheek then settled the baby into him again. He smiled and looked at his wife.

" Are you kidding me? I am anything but upset. I have my wife, a baby, and a new pup." Jonathan put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. " I am very happy." He said. She smiled and rubbed her face against his chest.

" I love you." She whispered.

" I love you too." Jonathan said.

The little family cuddled up together on the couch. Wife nestled into husband, son cuddle up into father tiny tummy to broad chest. Little Arthur's legs were draw up and his hands were holding tiny handfuls of Jonathan's shirt. While the parents talked and watched TV, their new pup laid on the floor by Elliot. Jonathan's fingertips lightly rubbed AJ's back while he kissed the baby's soft hair. Was he upset that they couldn't have sex? No, not when the reason was the prefect mixture of the two of them sleeping on his chest.


End file.
